A Light to Lead the Way, A Hope to Guide the Heart
by fatherbones
Summary: Six years after the end of the game, Hope and Lightning find themselves caught up in another focus after their l'Cie brands return. They must fight to protect the fragile stability of their new home, while Hope tries to express his new feelings for Light
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first stab at a fan fic. I've been reading them for a while, and after playing FFXIII I came here to see if any good stories had been posted, and I wasn't disappointed. I hated FFXII, I thought the characters were boring and the story was bland, so I was excited when I started playing XIII, because it was quickly clear that this game was much better. After getting to the end, it was satisfying, but lacked the closure that Square games tend to lack, and since Square isn't usually in the business of direct sequels (which maybe for the best considering FF X-2) it's up to the fans to make our own closure. I liked the stories and characters so much, especially the Lightning/Hope relationship, and I was inspired to finally try and write my own Fic. Dunno if anyone is gonna like it, i guess it starts off slow, but i finished the first three chapters before i posted it here, and it will pick up soon. Read and comment if you like it, or tell me if you hate it. I'd appreciate any appraisal of my first work, and any constructive criticisms you can offer. Anyway, hope you like it.**

Chapter 1

Hope Estheim sat on a bench outside the train station, gazing absently at the starry night sky lost in thought. Even after six years, he was still not used to the openness to nature afforded by the relocation to Gran Pulse. He sighed as he thought back to the day they had defeated orphan, the day their home had been destroyed and two of the members of their family, as they had come to see their group of friends as, had sacrificed themselves to give them all a second chance.

After Cocoon fell, the surviving inhabitants of the once utopian society found it quite unlivable. Over the next few years, they had managed to clear out the area surrounding the new resting place of their former home. Fortunately for them, they were also able to salvage much of the shattered remains of Cocoon to speed up the process of creating a new home for themselves in an unfamiliar and extremely hostile environment. Air lifting the scrap metal and debris from the crystallized moon that held Cocoon was no easy chore, but the people of Cocoon persevered by working together. Though the assistance of several Pulse juggernauts they managed to activate was also a factor in the fast construction of their new home. The remains of the capital city Eden were also helpful to the refugees. Despite suffering heavy damage during the Pulse invasion prior to the fall, the infrastructure of the city remained more or less intact, resulting in the new settlement on Pulse being named New Eden.

Though life in New Eden had gained some of the normalcy that the citizens of Cocoon used to enjoy, the city was being added onto all the time. Rather than build settlements across the face of Gran Pulse, the council that had assumed a leadership role for the people quickly agreed it was much safer and more practical to have one large city than several smaller ones. New Eden was instead divided into various districts, many taking their names from cities that existed on Cocoon, such as Bodhum and Palumpolum. There was still much to be done to restore the place to its former glory, though many accepted that the blissful life they had once lived was lost to them. All they could do is try the best they could to turn New Eden into a place where they could be comfortable living in, to try and forget about the fact that they now lived in the place they had been taught all their lives was a living hell.

Hope now sat outside the train station in the Bodhum district, having just arrived from Palumpolum, where he lived with his father. As he gazed up at the still unfamiliar night sky, he thought back on the last few years. Being made into a l'Cie and cast into a harsh and unforgiving world had changed him, and though he hated to admit it to himself, sometimes he wished that he was still traveling with the band of people who had become a family to him, fighting against fate and every other foul thing the world threw at them. Thoughts such as these often came to him while he was toiling away in new schools built in New Eden. He found it hard to return to his normal boring life after slaying behemoths and Ceith, casting down the fal'Cie overlords, and commanding the destructive force of pure magic.

These nostalgic thoughts inevitably lead to thoughts of the l'Cie comrades he hadn't seen for almost two years, at their last reunion party. He thought of Sazh, who lived with his now teenage son Dajh and continued his piloting and engineering career, having lead several projects to help build New Eden. Sazh had always been a cheerful source of wisdom during their journey, keeping things cool in many a heated situation, despite his deep seeded pain over his son's fate as a l'Cie. He thought of Snow, the goofy bastard he had come to think of as the older brother he never had and sometimes wished he didn't. Snow was true to his promise to Serah, and the two had married shortly after Cocoon's fall. The two lived in the Bodhum district, where Snow and his NORA friends had resumed their lives, assisting the military in an official capacity at keeping the wildlife at bay and helping in the reconstruction effort; the besieged remnant of the Guardian Corps and PSICOM couldn't afford to turn down any help when trying to improve the lives of the people now forced to live on the surface of the savage Gran Pulse. Serah was a stay at home mother to her and Snow's now two year old son, Zack. He thought of Vanille and Fang, who had saved them all, and now slept in crystal slumber, somewhere in the heart of the crystal spire that held up the remains of Cocoon. He remembered with a sad smile how much Vanille had helped him when the l'Cie mess had all started, and how she always had time to listen to him vent his thoughts.

Hope's wandering mind eventually came upon Lightning, the woman who had taken him under her wing and helped him come to grips with his inexperience and emotions in a world where they would have surely gotten him killed. Hope had opened up to Lightning, and she, in turn, had opened up to him more than any other in their group. Hope felt that he knew Lightning better than anyone else, other than Serah. As these things happen, he had developed fuzzy feelings for her during their adventures together, but he had dismissed them as a teenager's crush, and had never seriously thought he would ever act upon them. Instead, he placed Lightning on a pedestal in his mind, something to admire from afar but not to aspire to.

These feelings, however, had recently changed, as had Hope. He was no longer an inexperienced boy, but an adult, a man. He was tall and toned, muscled, but lean unlike Snow or Gadot. Hope had begun climbing the pedestal in his mind, trying to reach for what he thought was unattainable. When he looked at Lightning, he saw her in a different way, but the problem was, he was unsure what she saw when she looked back at him. Did she still think of him as the awkward fourteen year old boy he had once been, or did she see him as the man he had become?

These thoughts gnawed at him as he stared up at the sky, procrastinating for the trip he should have taken hours ago when his train had arrived. Normally during these trips, Hope had stayed at Snow and Serah's house, so as not to impose upon the solitary Lightning. This year however, with Sazh and Dajh staying there after arriving a few days earlier and not being able to find accommodations, they didn't have the room. When he found out that Lightning had suggested Hope stay at her house for the duration of the trip, he had tried to keep his composure and pretend it didn't matter to him, but it had resulted in the torrent of confusing thoughts and emotions that had kept him on this bench watching the dusk turn to night.

"Get a hold of yourself, Hope," he grumbled, resting his head in his hands, trying to physically shake the thoughts out of his skull. "You can stare down a king behemoth and platoons of hardened PSICOM soldiers bent on your death without flinching, but the thought of spending a few nights at Light's house scares the shit out of you…fantastic."

He stood up and stretched his legs, working out the cramps from sitting in the same position for hours. "I'd better get going," he said to no one in particular. "Lightning's probably worried about me." With that, he grabbed his bag and began walking towards the taxi company next to the train station, unable to keep the grin off his face at the thought of Light worrying about him.

XXXXX

"Where were you? I was starting to get worried, your train was supposed to be here hours ago." Hope stood in the doorway to Lightning's home, having just arrived and knocked on her door, which had opened to reveal a rather agitated Lightning.

Hope grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, train was delayed, something about an obstruction on the tracks," he lied wildly. He didn't really want to tell Light that he had spent a few hours on a bench, stargazing and wondering how to express his new feelings to her.

"Debris, huh? I hope it's nothing serious…well, come in, it's getting pretty cold out there." Hope sighed inwardly, relieved she had bought his story, but worried she might try to look into it later.

"Yeah…cold," he mumbled, rubbing his arms and shivering, having suddenly realized it was quite cold. The thought of seeing Lightning again had apparently acted as a deterrent to the biting Pulse winds. He walked in and closed the door, turning to get a good look at Lightning. She was as beautiful as ever, and he had to strain to keep his eyes from wandering too long over her graceful form, lest she notice his gaze.

As he struggled against the tumult in his mind, renewed by being in Light's presence, Hope was startled as she wrapped him in a tight hug. "It's good to see you, Hope," she said, breaking the embrace, "You've grown way too much in a year, yet again. You're taller than me now," she said, with a mock exasperated look on her face as she studied his features and newfound height advantage. "How's school coming?"

"Eh, college isn't much different from high school so far," he said, glad to have a topic to snap him out of his daze after Lightning's hug. "I'm still undecided on what I want to study, and it's not making it any easier that the whole experience seems strained. I think it's still too soon for people to settle down again, it just feels like everyone is going through the motions just for the sake of normalcy."

Lightning sighed, amazed as ever at the astounding insight Hope always had a knack for. She studied him. He had grown into a handsome young man. The only thing about him that was still the same were his deep green eyes, that had shown wisdom and a talent for observation far beyond his age, even now. "Well, you can't begrudge them that, this whole ordeal isn't easy for anyone, and they don't even know exactly how or why this all happened," she finally responded.

"I guess not," Hope replied, uneasy under her scrutiny.

"By the way, you should call your dad, he's probably worried sick about not hearing from you. And tell him thanks from me; I got promoted to Lieutenant last month."

"That's great, Light!" Hope congratulated her with a wide smile.

"It's no big deal," she said nonchalantly. "More work and responsibility, but they need all the help they can get. And I happen to know a little more about the terrain of Gran Pulse than most."

"That's true, but why do you want me to thank my dad for that?" he asked her with a puzzled look, walking over to the sink and pouring himself a glass of water.

"Well if it wasn't for your dad lobbying on the behalf of all of us, I probably wouldn't have been let back into the Corps, let alone promoted. It's thanks to him all us former l'Cie didn't get lynched in the streets for supposedly causing all of this," she replied grimly. "But let's not talk about that kind of stuff now. Tell me," she said, smiling mischievously, "any lucky ladies in your life?"

Hope coughed and sputtering over his drink. "W-what?" he stammered, wiping his mouth. "Uhh, no, not really," he managed to say over his embarrassment.

Lightning laughed, poking him in the forehead. "Relax kid, I was just joking. Come on, you must be tired, I'll show you where you're sleeping."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hope lay awake later that night, staring at the ceiling trying to sort through his emotions. _Seeing her again was nice, and she seems to have loosened up a little bit, at least. She says I've changed a lot, but she seems to still think I'm a kid, _he thought angrily. _I can't even keep my cool around her anymore, I turn into a babbling idiot when she talks to me, and I can't keep my eyes off her when she's not. Maybe I should listen to my dad, I don't want to ruin our friendship…_he thought back to the conversation he had had with his father before leaving for the train station earlier that day with a melancholy smile.

XXXXX

"You must be excited about seeing your friends again," Bartholomew Estheim said to his son as he watched him check his bags.

"Yeah, I miss them a lot," Hope distractedly replied, ruffling through the contents of his suitcase.

"I received word from Snow earlier; he said that Sazh and his son ended up staying with them, when the hotel they usually stay in was booked full…and that was the only one in the area yet. That plus the baby, and they don't really have the room to put you up this year."

"So where am I gonna stay?" Hope asked, abandoning his suitcase inspection to turn to his father with a concerned look.

"Your friend Lightning offered to have you at her house while you are visiting your with them. She has more than enough room, and you don't seem to have any other options…" He stopped mid-sentence as he saw the look on his son's face after hearing about his new sleeping arrangements. His mouth was hanging open slightly and his eyes were widened. "Uh, Hope?" Mr. Estheim asked, looking quizzically at his son.

Hope tried and failed to hide his momentary shock, stammering out a weak "W-what?"

"You'll be staying at your friend Lightning's house instead of Snow and Serah's this year," his father replied, studying his son intently.

"O-oh…okay" Hope replied, turning back to his bag and trying to gloss over the moment. But his father wasn't a member of the governing council of New Eden for nothing, he knew how to read people pretty well, and it was obvious Hope was nervous about this new information. He clapped a hand on his son's shoulder and sighed.

"Ahhh son, young love can be a difficult thing," Bartholomew said seriously, in a rare moment of father to son interaction.

"W-what?" Hope stammered again, looking at his father in surprise.

"I thought you might have some feelings for this Lightning, it's only natural. She is a beautiful and confident woman, and she was there for you during a very tough time in your life."

"But dad, I…" Hope started, but his father cut him off.

"It's okay, son, you don't have to say anything, just listen to a bit of advice. You might be unsure about what to do about your feelings, but before you act on them, you have to be sure they are genuine. If you act on them and it turns out this is just a passing infatuation, you will have ruined a friendship you treasure, and you will regret it for the rest of your life. If your feelings are the real deal…then, all I can say is be honest with yourself and follow your heart, and things will fall into place."

"I….thanks, Dad," Hope said with a smile, gripping his father on the shoulder appreciatively. He went back to his bag, and after his inspection was complete, slung it over his shoulder and headed towards the door, where he saw the taxi waiting outside.

"Bye, Dad," he said. He turned to open the door then stopped, and turned back to his father. "Hey Dad, did you know Mom very well before you guys started dating?"

His father smiled back at him, chuckling to himself a little. "She had been one of my best friends for almost eight years before we started dating."

XXXXX

Hope stared up at the ceiling with renewed contentment as he remembered his father's advice and parting words. _I have to stop stressing about this, Dad is right. If it's meant to be, it will fall together eventually_. With these thoughts calming the chaos in his head, Hope drifted off to sleep.

The next few days passed quickly for Hope, and was full of happy reunions. He and Lightning went to Snow and Serah's house almost every day to help them prepare for the party. Everyone was, as usual, surprised at Hope's continued growth, and he stoically dealt with their exclamations of him finally growing up, though they grated on his nerves.

Hope didn't mind, though. For the first time in a while, he was able to abandon his worries about the future for him, his friends, and all the other people from Cocoon and just enjoy the moments catching up with his friends. Snow was as energetic as ever, though he was more tolerable with Serah there to keep him in check. His son Zack seemed to have inherited his blond hair and energy, and was constantly escaping from his Mother's grasp to explore every bit of his surroundings. Sazh didn't seem to have changed much either, though Dajh was growing fast, and the baby chocobo that had for so long been a staple part of Sazh's wardrobe definitely couldn't fit in his afro anymore, having grown taller than all of them already. Laughs were had, and memories were shared, and all was right.

When Hope and Lightning weren't helping their friends prepare for the party, they were lounging around Lightning's house, enjoying each other's company. Lightning had managed to get some time off before her next foray out into the wilderness of Gran Pulse in order to be around for the reunion with her friends, and Hope was glad for it. He spent as much time around her as he could, and he was able to keep his cool around her at last, having settled his tumultuous emotions with his decision to see how things played out. He was rewarded with Lightning opening up to him more. In turn for all his stories about high school and college life, he learned more about her past, and about the harsh trials she faced when her parents died and she was forced to care for her sister. He could relate to her experiences, for during the l'Cie incident, he had been forced to grow up just as quick as Lightning had.

The night of the party finally arrived. Snow and Serah's backyard was decorated nicely, with a barbeque and table set up under an awning to keep the sun's punishing rays from ruining the occasion. The Cocoon refugees had quickly learned that the only thing worse than Pulse's freezing nights were its brutally hot days. Everyone was having a good time, and Hope was able to enjoy being with his friends and not dread the return to harsh reality the next day when his train home was going to leave. Snow turned out to be a pretty good cook, despite his rather obnoxious "kiss the cook" apron. Most of all, Hope liked being able to see Lightning happy and seemingly let down her guard to enjoy time with the people she cared about. He spent most of his time sitting and talking with her, and when Snow made a comment about this, she promptly knocked him on his ass. He looked up at her angrily, and said "Damn, sis, the apron says kiss the cook, not punch his lights out," to which everyone eventually burst out laughing, even Light.

Night eventually fell, and Sazh and Snow went into the house, claiming they had a special surprise for everyone. They came out a few minutes later lugging a large black box between them and put it in the middle of the yard. Sazh turned back to them all with an excited smile on his face.

"I don't know if the rest of you guys realized this, but today is the day that they usually held the Bodhum fireworks festival. Though that isn't really anyone's top priority nowadays after our…er…migration to Pulse, I figured we shouldn't let the tradition die, especially since it brought us all together. I was able to whip up a nice batch of fireworks over the past year and I think you guys might enjoy it." He walked over to the box and pressed a few buttons and ran back to watch with the rest of the group.

"This should be good," Hope said, as he stood next to Lightning, who smiled slightly. A few seconds later the box went off with a loud bang, spraying multi-color lights into the air. The group cheered at the marvelous display, which was every bit as good as the festival they had attended all those years ago.

Lightning put her hand on Hope's shoulder, and he turned to her. "Make a wish," she said with a smile. Hope looked back at her and was tugged back through the years to when his mother had said that to him in the original Bodhum. He looked back at her and returned her smile.

"I already have," he replied. She didn't question his response, and they stood together enjoying Sazh's fireworks display. After another few minutes, during what looked like the finale, Hope put his hand on Light's shoulder, just as she had done. She turned to him and he looked into her blue-green eyes, and thought back to his father's words. He knew then that this was real, and that could never be happy with anyone else but Light.

"Light…." He started, looking for the right words. His father's voice sounded again in his head, _'just be honest with yourself and follow your heart' _"I wanted to thank you."

She looked at him quizzically. "For what?"

"For being there for me all those years ago. I know I was probably a burden to you most of the time, but you taught me how to follow my instincts and to fight, and most importantly, to forgive. Without you, I never would have become who I am today…hell I probably wouldn't even be here right now, and I just wanted you to know how much it means to me that you were there, so….thanks." He took his arm off her shoulder, but continued looking in her eyes, trying to discern some reaction to what he had said.

She looked at a loss for words at first, but eventually managed to say "Hope, you don't have to thank me. You were never a burden, and you helped me come to terms with myself as much as I helped you. And now I look at you, and the man you are becoming, and I'm proud that I was able to help you along that path. You're not the same timid boy that I knew when we first became l'Cie. You're a strong person, and you're one of the few people that I trust in this world. Don't change who you are." Hope was just as taken back by her response as she had been to what he said, but he smiled and nodded, and the two of them turned to watch the rest of the fireworks, side by side.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After the party had ended, Lightning and Hope had returned to her house, tired out from the day's activities. They didn't talk much on the way home and afterwards while they were getting ready for bed, but that didn't bother Hope. What she had said to him made him happier than he had been since before his mother had died. She acknowledged him as an equal, and she said that she trusted him, and was grateful that he had followed her. After exchanging 'good nights' and getting into bed, Hope's mind was free of the frantic thoughts and emotions that had plagued him as of late, and fell contentedly to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

XXXXX

Hope was standing in what appeared to be an old fashioned bar, like the ones that used to be in Palumpolum on Cocoon. He looked around and took in the scene; Sazh was sitting at a piano in the corner, playing an old tune that he faintly recognized. Next to him stood Serah in a gown with a mic, tapping her foot along with the melody. She eventually started to sing, "It's nine o'clock on a Saturday…"

Hope turned to the bar and saw Snow pouring drinks and offering a light to a depressed looking Fang, wearing a leather jacket and taking a drag on her freshly lit cigarette. He looked over and spotted Vanille dancing to the melody in the middle of floor, swaying in time with the music. In the corner he spotted a familiar head of pinkish blonde hair with a ponytail on the side, and walked over to find Lightning sitting at a table by herself with a glass of red liquor in her hand. He sat down across the table from her, and she looked up at him with an unreadable expression.

After a few moments she said to him "I was waiting for you, you know." She cracked a slight smile.

"F-for me? Why?" Hope stammered.

Lightning picked up her drink and quickly drained the rest of it and set it back on the table with a gentle 'clink.' "Let's dance," she sad abruptly, and grabbed a startled Hope's hand and dragged him out to where Vanille was still dancing to the music. Sazh was playing a different tune now, and Serah was singing accordingly.

"No one knows what its like…to be the bad man….to be the sad man….behind blue eyes…"

As Light lead him in a slow dance, she rested her head on his shoulder. Hope let her lead him around the floor, still not understanding what was happening. After a few moments she looked up at him. "You shouldn't worry so much, Hope. Things happen for a reason." She rested her head back on his shoulder and they continued dancing….

The bar faded around him, and Hope was floating through a dark abyss. As the scene formed around him, he noticed metal walls full of twisting gears and flashing lights. He walked into a circular room that seemed vaguely familiar to him. After some thought, he realized this was the place inside the Pulse fal'Cie where he and the others had confronted Anima and subsequently been turned into l'Cie. He looked around, but there was no sign of the part of the fal'Cie they had fought.

Hope was suddenly startled by a voice that came from nowhere. "You've changed Hope," a voice chuckled, and he instantly recognized it as Vanille's. "All grown up, but still having freaky dreams," she chuckled again. Hope looked around for Vanille, but he was alone in the room.

"Vanille? Is that you?" he asked into the emptiness.

"Who else would it be, silly?"

"Where are you?" he asked again, still looking around.

"That doesn't matter right now, I don't have much time. I came to give you something back," she replied mysteriously.

"What is it?" Hope asked, still confused.

"Something to help you do what you have to do…," she trailed off, sounding rather sad this time. "I'm sorry, but there's no other way."

"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Hope gave up looking around, and was instead staring at the ceiling; Vanille's voice seemed to be coming from the walls around him.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I hope you'll forgive me, eventually. By the way, don't give up on her, she'll come around, I'm sure of it!" Her voice seemed to be fading away at her last words. Suddenly, a blue-white flash exploded in the room, and Hope knew no more.

XXXXX

Hope woke with a start. He blinked the sleep from eyes as he looked around. The sun streamed through the windows, and the clock next to his bed told him it was nine o'clock. "Fuckin weird dreams," he muttered to himself as he tried to rub the remaining weariness from his eyes. He walked into the bathroom and looked at his disheveled hair in the mirror with a groan. Eyes still closed, he opened the drawer searching for the brush he had brought with him, and retracted his hand as a sharp pain shot through his finger. He had cut himself on an old razor blade hidden beneath various junk in the drawer.

"Shit," he muttered, annoyed by the pain radiated from his fresh wound. He stretched out his hand to turn the sink on to clean it when something caught his eye. He looked down at his left wrist and saw a strange marking on it. Blinking his eyes again he stared down at the mark and recognized it at once and his blood turned cold. It was the same mark he had thought he had seen the last of six years ago. It wasn't black, but frozen looking like Fang's had been, but it was unmistakably his l'Cie brand. It began emitting a soft white light.

"Oh, shit," he whispered. Eyes not leaving the pulsing mark, he ran out of the room towards Lightning's door and pounded frantically on it.

"What the hell?" Light asked angrily as she opened the door, clearly still having been asleep.

"Lightning, something, uh…something bad happened…" Hope said, not knowing how to tell her. Anger was replaced by concern as she continued starting at him, clearly waiting for him to continue. "I was woken up by some weird dreams, and…" he stopped. Why couldn't he bring himself to tell her? He hung his head and raised his left arm towards her face. She looked down at the pulsing brand, and like he had, tried to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"What the fuck? Where did that come from?" she asked, staring intently at the l'Cie brand burning on her friend's arm. She reached out as if to touch it, but her hand retracted at the last second and grasped at a spot on her own chest. She pulled the top of the loose tank top she had slept in, causing Hope to blush furiously and avert his eyes. When he looked back at her, she was staring at a brand identical to Hope's on the left side of her chest.

"What does this mean? How did this happen?" Hope stammered, trying to remain calm, but hanging his head in despair

"I don't know…" whispered Lightning. She seemed unable to believe what she was seeing.

Hope suddenly looked up. "We have to call the others, see if their brands are back too," he said quickly. He turned to run downstairs to the phone, but Lightning grabbed his arm.

"Don't mention the brand at first, I don't want to worry them if theirs didn't come back too," she said calmly, seemingly having regained her composure.

"O-okay," Hope stammered, and he ran down the stairs, Lightning right behind him. As he reached the phone, he heard the back door open and shut. He punched in the number to Snow's house and impatiently waited as the phone rang once, twice, three, four times until someone finally picked it up.

"Hello?" Snow's voice came through the receiver.

"Hey, Snow, it's Hope."

"Oh, hey kid, whatsup? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I-I called to ask you the same thing….you uhh… drank a lot last night and I wanted to make sure you were okay…" he stammered lamely.

"Pfft, heroes don't get hangovers, kid," Snow chuckled. Nah, I'm fine."

"So…nothing strange over there?"

"Strange? Like what? Are you sure you're okay, Hope?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…sorry if I woke you, I'll see you later," Hope said, and quickly hung up. He turned towards the back door as it opened again and saw Light walking in, looking worried.

"The brands are for real," she said solemnly. I just summoned Odin in the backyard…"

Hope closed his eyes and mentally probed the back of his consciousness, searching for the once familiar spot he had probed many times to call upon magic. With great surprise, he found it, and when he reached for it, warmth flooded him, as if he had rediscovered an old friend. He opened his eyes and released a cure spell on the cut on his finger; it closed instantly and relief spread through his body. The moment of elation was washed away, however, when he looked back at Lightning, who was looking grim.

"What should we do?" he asked her nervously.

"I….I don't know, Hope. But we need to find out how this happened, it doesn't make sense that we just woke up as l'Cie again.

"I know…" Hope started, but he was interrupted by a loud crackle as a radio on the kitchen table blared to life.

"Calling all units…..calling all units," said a voice that was barely audible over the static and interference. "Major disturbance…unknown origins….west side of the Nautilius district….Need backup….." the radio hissed into silence. Lightning looked up, worried, and began running upstairs. Hope remained rooted to the spot, wondering what could be going on. A minute later, Lighting came down in her combat gear, her gunblade bouncing in its sheath behind her.

"I have to go see what's going on, Hope," she said quickly. He could see the worry etched across her face. She turned to leave, but Hope grabbed her arm.

"Wait…let me go with you. We don't know who or what is waiting for you over there…" he said, with a concerned look.

She pulled free of his grasp. "No," she said sharply. "I don't want you getting hurt. Stay here, I'll be back soon, and we can sort this out." She turned to the door.

"But…" he said weakly, but she had already the slammed the door behind her. "Be careful…" he whispered to the empty room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, first off I'd like to thank those who left reviews, positive (or negative) reinforcement is always appreciated. **

**Also, sorry about the length of the first three chapters, this is the first story I've uploaded to the site, and I wrote those three chapters before doing so, and I obviously grossly underestimated the capacity of each chapter, I figured four to five pages in Microsoft word was gonna fill them up. I'm won't hold back anymore though, so the future chapters should be longer.**

**Updates shouldn't take too long to post, I'm out of college until September, and I've found that thinking up scenes in my head is a great way to pass the time at my rather boring part time job.**

**In this chapter, I'm gonna try some combat scenes, so if you do leave a review, give me a yay or nay on if I'm doing it right. The paradigm system from the game seems like it would be rather awkward to articulate into writing, so I'm pretty much gonna ignore it and write as if the characters have access to their spells/abilities without changing from ravager to medic or whatever. In the other fics I've read, no one else has returned l'Cie abilities to the characters, so I haven't seen any effective method of conveying the paradigms, though I suspect the fights might be more exciting without them.**

**Lastly, I know the title is, I dunno, kinda lame I guess, but I wanted to post them last night before I went to sleep and I've never been great at naming things.**

**Square owns all the characters and all that jazz, so here's chapter 4, hope you like**

Chapter 4

"Who was that on the phone, Snow?" Serah asked her husband as she walked into the kitchen yawning .

"It was Hope, kid wanted to know if we were ok or anything strange was going on… he was acting pretty weird," he answered.

"Hmm, that sounds kinda serious, maybe we should call them back to make sure everything's okay," Serah said, biting her lip nervously.

"Huh? Doesn't seem that bad to me," Snow replied with confusion at his wife's reaction.

"Well," she responded with a slight smirk, "if YOU say someone is acting weird, then it's probably time to worry."

XXXXX

Lightning was speeding towards the Nautilus district, pushing her standard issue velocycle as hard as it could go. She was trying to concentrate on finding any sign of battle, while at the same time listening to the military radio installed in her vehicle.

"Unit 31 on the way to provide backup, our patrol is the closest to west Nautilus at the moment according to our scanners."

"Affirmative…31….suffering….casualties….all for more back….enemy unknown….humanoid…..fire…"

Lightning wrinkled her brow in frustration. Whatever was attacking the city must have been causing the interference on the besieged troops' communicators. Whatever was going on, it didn't sound good. She wracked her brain trying to remember if she had encountered anything that matched the vague details she had caught through the static filled transmissions, but they weren't ringing any bells.

As caught up as she was in trying to figure out what the hell was happening, she had subconsciously pushed the appearance of her and Hope's brands from her mind until she felt it pulse on her chest. She glanced down and saw it's light coming through her jacket, and placed her hand over the spot on her chest that had for so long been free of the damning tattoo. She reached towards the power in her mind and let it's warmth spread through her body. Her heart skipped a beat and she gasped audibly as she felt the familiar strength coursing through her body. She looked down at her hand and saw electricity crackling at her fingertips.

She was stirred from basking in the familiar feeling of the strength she had thought was lost to her forever when she heard an explosion from up ahead. She looked up, but the sound had obviously outdistanced any visual signs she might be able to discern, so kept her course toward the general direction of the sound.

"Alright, whatever the fuck you are," she said, tightening her grip on the handlebars of her velocycle, "you picked the wrong day to attack this city." With a look of renewed determination, she kicked her bike into the highest gear and sped on towards an uncertain enemy.

XXXXX

Hope was pacing frantically around Lightning's living room, arms folded over his chest, a look of frustration etched on his face. His continued pacing was interrupted after a few more minutes but an announcement blaring over the holo-vid screen. He stopped abruptly as he registered what he had heard and sat down to watch.

"Earlier this morning, a disturbance was reported near the western gate of New Eden, on the edge of the Nautilus district. Military forces in the area have responded quickly to the emergency protocol, but further details are unknown due to the swift blockade placed around the vicinity of the disturbance. Citizens are advised to remain calm and in their homes if you live close to the area. The council has given its assurance that the matter is being dealt with."

Hope was not convinced. On the contrary, the report only made him feel worse. A military blockade meant told him that whatever was attacking the city was giving the soldiers trouble. He hung his head with his face in his hands, trying to decide what to do.

"Dammit Light…" he muttered angrily. "What should I do?" As if in response to his question, he felt the brand on his wrist pulse violently, startling him from his contemplations. He looked down at the glowing mark on his arm and nodded as if to say 'thanks'. He jumped off the couch he had been sitting on and started for the door.

XXXXX

"Hmmm…" Serah said, sounding more worried than before, a look of clear concern on her face. No answer."

"Don't worry about them, babe, they're fine. Hope's train doesn't leave until later tonight, so they probably went out to breakfast or something. Heh, maybe the kid will get up the courage to make a move since he's leaving soon," Snow said jokingly, trying to reassure his wife.

Serah smiled weakly. "Yeah…I guess."

XXXXX

Lightning was now close enough to the commotion to make out the gouts of flame rising over the buildings in the area. Some of the buildings themselves had caught fire, and she could make out several charred and shattered rooftops of buildings that had apparently suffered from a foundation wracking explosion. Every few seconds, Lightning winced as the heat and force from the explosions blasted through the air around her. After another minute or so, she started hearing the rattle of gunfire and the screams and shouts of soldiers, though whether they were screams of agony or frantic soldiers trying to shout orders, she couldn't tell.

She started slowing down her velocycle, getting ready to descend to the streets, where the battle seemed to be taking place. Before she dipped below the buildings, she spotted several specks in the sky that she was able to discern to be the silhouettes of military aircrafts heading towards them, but she estimated their arrival to be another ten minutes off at the very least. Turning her gaze towards the battle below, she located a knot of soldiers who seemed to be trying to organize their fellows scrambling around them. Looking around, she saw no sign of whoever, or whatever, was attacking them. As she descended, one of them pointed up to her and motioned to his fellows to move aside. She landed gracefully among them when they cleared a spot for her to touch down.

"Lieutenant Farron reporting in," Light saluted as she dropped to the ground from her velocycle. "I need a status report immediately."

"Yes ma'am," saluted a nearby soldier, whose striped soldier pad told Lightning that he was a Sergeant, and apparently in charge of the operation so far. "At about 0900 this morning, our patrol heard a commotion coming from the west gate into the city. We had just left for a routine patrol in the nearby forest, but we hadn't seen anything coming before we set out. We turned around to investigate, and when we came upon the gate it appeared to have been blown in from the outside."

"That gate is thirty feet tall and made of solid adamantium, how the hell could anything blow it open?" Lightning interjected, with a disbelieving tone.

"No clue, ma'am," the soldier responded. "But there were scorch marks on the side facing out to us and the door was bent inward. We called for backup on our comms and went in to investigate."

"What did you find?" Lightning asked, listening intently to the soldier's report.

"Fire. Lots of fire. The buildings in the square surrounding the gate were on fire, the vehicles along the side of the street were on fire, and the holes blasted in the street were burning. We could hear people screaming and saw them fleeing from the burning buildings, only to get blasted off their feet by gouts of flame from….I don't know who he is, none of us do, but we heard him laughing before we saw him. He was standing in the middle of the square blasting people, buildings, trees, anything he could reach with fire that he shot from his hands. He…he looked just like a normal guy in street clothes, not even any kind of body armor or military gear. We didn't see any mana drives on him, but he was obviously using magic…we figure he must be a l'Cie, but….we thought all the fal'Cie were gone," the soldier finished, and hung his head. Lightning couldn't tell if he was saddened by the memories of the horrible scene he had described, or by the fact that the fal'Cie who had provided for them their entire lives were no more.

"A l'Cie, huh?" Lightning muttered to no one in particular, unconsciously raising her hand to her newly reacquired brand. "Where is he now?" she asked sharply, snapping out of her momentary lapse and looking around at the soldiers surrounding her.

"Around the corner ma'am. We engaged the hostile, but nothing we had seemed to work. Bullets didn't effect him, and neither did any of the grenades we were equipped with, frag, impact, and gas. We lost almost half our squad in the first few minutes of the fight, his attacks just burned right through all of our armor. None of the defensive mana drives we had could stop them either, and our offensive mana drives didn't seem to phase him at all. When unit 31 radioed in that they were almost here, we retreated to our current position to rendezvous with them. Their patrol area takes them into a valley that is known to be a spot frequented by adamantoises, so they have much heavier artillery than we do."

As he finished speaking, they heard several people running towards them from the opposite direction that the soldier had indicated the l'Cie aggressor was. Lightning glanced towards the newcomers, and immediately recognized them as soldiers, most likely unit 31 due to the several men carrying rocket launchers in the back of the group.

The leader of the group hurried over to them and offered a salute, which they quickly returned. "Sergeant Wedge of patrol unit 31 reporting in. What's the situation?" As the soldier quickly went over the details he had just shared with Lightning, she gazed towards the other end of the street. She could hear the blasts of fire that the supposed l'Cie was still shooting indiscriminately at his surroundings, and she even thought she might have heard a sadistic laugh over the chaos. She gritted her teeth in anger as she vaguely heard the two sergeants trying to come up with a strategy. As she continued to look towards the spot where she supposed the mysterious attacker would soon appear, she felt her brand begin to pulse, almost angrily, once again. As it did, she felt a sudden tingling in the air around her, and was sure she was feeling the destructive magic being let loose in the area.

"Ma'am, before you came here, did you happen to see if we were getting any air support?" the soldier asked her, apparently having finalized their plan of attack once their enemy reappeared. Lightning continued staring towards the end of the street, oblivious to the soldier's question. He grabbed her arm to get her attention. "Ma'am?"

"What?" she stammered distractedly, flinching at the touch of the soldier as she looked down to make sure her brand had stopped glowing before she turned back to them. "Y-yeah, I saw a few carriers headed this way, they should be here soon," she replied offhandedly. This seemed to bolster the soldiers' courage, and the sergeants ordered them into position. Lightning moved off to the side and returned to her pensive trance.

_What the hell is going on? _she though to herself leaning up against a nearby building. _First Hope and I wake up with these fucking brands again, and now the city is getting attacked by a l'Cie? This can't be a coincidence…_

A flurry of activity from the nearby soldiers roused Lightning from her thoughts, and she glanced up and immediately saw the source. The l'Cie had turned the corner onto the street they were on. He was bald, with gray, cracked looking skin the color of granite. His eyes were glowing like two burning coals set in his gaunt face, which was twisted into a horrible grin. He was wearing regular black pants and shoes, with a long coat over what appeared to be the remnants of a shirt ripped to shreds by the bullets that didn't affect him. Through the tattered garments, Lightning glimpsed the curling lines and spiky arrows of what was unmistakably a l'Cie brand, but this brand was several times the size of any that Lightning had seen. The mark glowed a dull red, while at the center rested an evil looking black eye with a pulsing red pupil gazing out from its place over the l'Cie's heart. He was walking as if he was taking a calm stroll through town, but he was still cackling and firing gouts of flame all around himself. After taking a few steps he seemed to notice the soldiers facing him, and one of the sergeants immediately yelled "FIRE!"

Lightning was buffeted by the sound of gunshots rushing towards the l'Cie. Machine guns emptying their clips, sniper rifles being fired with a single echoing 'bang', and lastly the firing of rocket launchers and the subsequent explosions when they rockets reached their mark. The barrage of weapon fire stopped as suddenly as it started, and as the smoke began to clear, Lightning glimpsed a humanoid silhouette with a raised hand.

"LOOK OUT!" she cried right before what she knew was about to happen happened. Lightning turned and fell back into an alley as an overwhelming blast of fire erupted from the l'Cie's hand and blasted half the street apart. After the ringing in her ears stopped, she could hear the anguished screams of the many soldiers who no doubt took a direct hit from the raging inferno and were even now in the throes of a painful death. She also became painfully aware of the fact that she didn't duck into the alley fast enough. The skin on the left side of her face had been singed by the flames and she knew it was probably scorched red from the proximity to the fire.

She managed to pull herself to her feet with the help of the side of a building. She raised a hand to her face and reached into the well of magic and raised her hand to her face to cast a cure spell. The magic spread a warm feeling of relief across her singed flesh, but after it had passed, it still stung. "Dammit," she muttered angrily at her mediocre spell. _Hope was always better at this stuff_ she thought to herself. _I never told him that though…_

After regaining her composure, Lightning reached the end of the alley to behold a gruesome scene. Most of the soldiers she had just been surrounded by lay dead or wracked in spasms of pain in the middle of a smoking and flaming crater that stretched the entire width of the street. Worst of all, the l'Cie now stood in the middle of the mass of burnt bodies, seemingly admiring his handiwork.

"Amazing, isn't it," the l'Cie said. His voice was raspy with an odd echo about it. "They depended on me for so long, but now that we meet face to face, they attack me with their pitiful weapons and artificial magics…I did them a favor, putting them out of their misery now…the coming battles aren't fit for pathetic mortals such as these. Don't you agree," he said, turning to Lightning, who was startled to find he had been talking to her, "fellow l'Cie?" At his words, the brand on Lightning's chest pulsed again, causing the murderous l'Cie watching her to start cackling maniacally again.

Lightning reached behind her legs and pulled her gunblade from its sheath. It unfolded as she swung it upward into a battle stance and began crackling threateningly with electricity. _This is the kind of magic I was good at_ she thought to herself in grim determination. "Why are you doing this?" she shouted at him, trying to suppress the rage boiling inside her. She normally displayed a cold façade in the face of death, even on the scale that faced her now, but she had trouble controlling it this time. These soldiers hadn't stood a chance against this monster, and he had never stopped laughing while he incinerated them. The fact that it was a l'Cie who had shown up out of no where to perpetrate this slaughter on the same morning that she had regained her brand, Lightning had a very convenient target to direct her anger over once again being thrust into an existence where she was pulled along by fate, like a puppet struggling useless against its strings.

"Why, you ask?" the l'Cie finally managed to say as his fit of laughter subsided. "Because it's fun, of course."

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Lightning charged at the l'Cie with her crackling gunblade and swung it to slash her opponent across the chest. To her surprise, the energy on her blade dissipated out during her charge, and her gunblade sparked feebly across the chest of the l'Cie, who made no move to dodge her attack. Lightning swiftly jumped back from the l'Cie and looked down at the blade that had failed her for the first time in memory.

The failed assault had sent the l'Cie into another fit of laughter. "You have to calm down, young l'Cie. You won't be able to control your magic properly if you can't keep your emotions in check," he said condescendingly.

Before she could respond, Lightning was assailed by the sound of engines and wind forced up by whirring turbines from somewhere above her. With a start she looked up to see three military assault carriers hovering above them. The l'Cie opposite her looked up as well, shielding his eyes with his hand and appraising the newcomers to the battlefield. The front most carrier opened its side hatches and several ropes descended from it to drop off shock troopers while two large gatling guns unfolded from either side of the craft.

The l'Cie sighed loudly to himself. "More humans I see. Very eager to die aren't they?" He raised his arm and Lightning could feel the stir of magic as it collected in his palm. She looked back to the carrier, frantically trying to signal the pilot to turn around.

"Go back!" she shouted futilely, knowing that there was no way they would hear her. She was nearly thrown from her feet as the magic combusted in the l'Cie's palm and a great fireball burst from his hand, rocketing towards the carrier. Lightning was thrown from her feet by the titanic force when the fireball collided with the carrier. Several charred bodies fell to the street to join their late comrades and Lightning was forced to do a backward flip from the ground to dodge a chunk of burning, twisted metal. Landing on her feet, she looked up just in time to dodge a rain of shattered glass as the carrier to the left of the one destroyed was hit with the shockwave and collided with the building above her. The pilot was able to salvage his craft however, and flew up and over the building. It had taken extensive damage from the collision and was most likely out of the fight. The third carrier was not so lucky. It deployed its own gatling guns, which began to spray bullets at the enemy l'Cie. He seemed entirely unconcerned by the barrage, most of which ineffectually bounced off his granite colored chest. He wore a bored expression as he raised his arm a second time and shot another fireball towards the last carrier. The pilot banked a turn, but it's left turbine was hit. The pilot's attempt to dodge caused the carrier to clear the line of buildings on the other side of the street before it went down. Its crash landing was followed by an explosion visible over the buildings.

_Enough _Lightning thought to herself, closing her eyes and employing a calming technique she had learned during her training to try control her anger. _Get a hold of yourself! You're better than this and you know it. If you can't stop this guy, your city and your friends are gonna be killed! _At this thought, images of her friends and family flashed through her mind. Serah, Snow, and her nephew Zack; Sazh and Dajh, Fang and Vanille, Hope…

Her brand pulsed and her eyes opened. She lifted her gunblade once again into a fighting stance. This time when it began to surge with energy, the electricity running along the blade was brighter and stronger than Lightning had ever remembered and it disturbed the air around it as it crackled. She charged at the l'Cie, not listening to whatever mocking comment he was in the middle of saying. His eyes went wide as he turned to Lightning and he was barely able to dodge in time to avoid being cut in half. As he dodged, her gunblade caught him across the chest, releasing a sudden spray a blood from the wound. She turned back to him and slashed her blade through the air, sending the blood that had trickled across its length into an arc of crimson rain drops that fell to the still smoldering pavement. She examined the damage she had done to her opponent, and saw that she had slashed him across the eye on his chest, which now appearing to be weeping tears of blood.

The l'Cie quickly regained his composure and condescending demeanor. "So she has teeth after all," he sneered.

"She has a lot more than that," Lightning responded, as her brand glowed red through her jacket. "Odin," she said, quietly. A red gem appeared in her hands, which she promptly threw and shattered with a swift slash of her sword.

The l'Cie was once again interrupted mid-remark as a huge red glyph burst from the shattered crystal. He watched as Odin emerged from the glyph and landed next to Lightning with a resounding crash, double ended scythe in one hand, a narrow shield in the other. The intimidating eidolon immediately charged the l'Cie who executed a quick backwards leap while launching a volley of small fireballs from both hands. Odin brought up his shield and the flames fizzled ineffectually against it. As he landed, the l'Cie once again was forced to dodge a blow that would have decapitated him as Lighting had come from behind with a horizontal slash of her electrified gunblade aimed at his throat.

As he ducked, he lifted his right foot backwards as if to kick Lightning, but sprang into flip that sent an arc of flame from his foot at Lightning, who was too close to dodge. Fortunately, she was able to bring her gunblade to bare in time to attempt to parry the attack. The force of it sent her sliding away from the l'Cie, who snapped his fingers as he landed, combusting the arc of flame in Lightning's face. She went flying through the air, but was caught by Odin from behind before she collided with the building.

She opened her eyes dazedly, and was quickly made away again that her face had been burned. Looking down at her clothes, she saw her jacked was full of scorch marks and the bottom of her cape had been burnt ragged. The palm of left hand that she had used to brace the gunblade as she tried to parry the l'Cie's sudden attack had also been burned raw. Trying to master the pain and keep her cool, she leapt from Odin's arms as he touched down to the street and stumbled. Her left leg had suffered a bad burn as well, and she now noticed a painful looking scorch mark that spread from her shin up to her knee. Gritting her teeth, she gasped as Odin casted a healing spell at her and the pain subsided. _Well at least one of us is good at magic _she thought with relief.

"Impressive, girl," the l'Cie sneered at her from across the street. "I had not thought you were this powerful, but your command of your eidolon is marvelous. Do you think that when you're a charred corpse he will serve me instead?"

Lightning chuckled at him, unaffected by his continued taunts. "Odin would never serve trash like you," she said coldly.

"Oh? Then your precious eidolon will burn with you, girl!" he snarled and launched a blistering gout of flame at Lightning.

"Odin!" she called, and leaped into the air over the attack. Odin soared past her and begin transforming into the gestalt mode that Lightning had once been so familiar with. As he shifted into his horse form, she caught hold of him and flipped herself onto his back as he fell back to the ground. She caught his scythe blade and separated it, one blade in each hand.

The l'Cie seemed to be at a loss for a snide remark for once, so Lightning took the initiative and charged him, blades surging with electricity. He managed to jump out of her path in time, but got caught in the blast when she discharged the energy in her blades and he went tumbling down the street. Pressing her advantage, Lightning charged again, preparing to finish the fight. She uttered the familiar command phrase for Odin's final attack. "The storm is here!" she shouted and leaped off the horse and began spinning, the energy from the blades stirring up a tornado of energy.

Hearing Lightning's exclamation roused the l'Cie from his stupor and he rose to his feet in time to see Lightning spinning, but was too late to dodge the attack. The blades of energy flew from where Lightning was spinning in mid air and struck him all over, crashing into the ground around him kicking up shockwaves and sundering the street further.

Lightning stopped her attack and landed nimbly on Odin's back. She reattached Odin's scythe blades and jumped down to the ground where she plunged the blade into the pavement. She walked up to Odin and stroked his neck appreciatively.

As the smoke cleared however, a figure rose from amidst the debris of Odin's zantetsuken. When she heard the shifting rock, Lightning quickly jerked her heads to the sound, unable to believe that the l'Cie had survived her attack.

"Very….good….girl," the l'Cie rasped out through coughs that sent blood splattering to the ground. As he came into view, Lightning saw that his was grasping the stump of his severed left arm with his damaged but intact right one. His jacket and the remains of his shirt had been torn from his body, revealing his scared and bleeding chest and shoulders. His pants were tattered and shredded but they remained on his body. Blood ran down his body and fell to the ground to join the spatters he had coughed up.

"How did you survive?" she asked him, still shocked to see him still breathing.

"You..underestimate me…if you thought that could…kill me," he gasped out, still having trouble recovering. He chuckled weakly.

"You seem a little too overconfident for the state it left you in though," she replied as she jump back onto Odin and pulled his sword from the pavement. She split the weapon again and prepared the finish the fight. "Let's end this," she spat at him.

"I agree," he said simply, the mocking tone missing from his voice. He raised his remaining arm, and the brand on his chest glowed fiercely. Lightning flinched as the power of the magic gathering in it washed over her, and when she turned back to him, a large fireball was forming in his palm and growing larger by the second, stopping when it was about six feet around. The magic swirling in its depths was visible to Lightning, and she had to shield her eyes from its brightness.

"This is all the power I have left," he said to her, as the sphere of magical fire began to hum violently and crackle with energy that scorched the street as it struck the ground like lightning.

In response, Lightning began pouring the remnants of her magic into Odin's swords, and she felt the horse beneath her flex its muscles as Odin did the same.

"Over here, he's over here!" a voice called from a side street. Despite of themselves both combatants glanced over to see several soldiers running towards their position, most likely the troops from the carrier that managed to escape without being destroyed. Lightning's insides went cold and she looked over and the l'Cie opposite her smiled. He adjusted his aim and launched the fireball at the group of soldiers, who saw him as they turned the corner. The soldiers looked first at Lightning atop Odin with her glowing blades then towards the battered l'Cie and the fireball he had just sent there way. They were transfixed like deer in headlights as the sphere of destruction raced towards them.

Without thinking, Lightning spurred Odin hard to intercept the attack and prevent further deaths at the hands of her monstrous opponent. The horse reared and leapt in front of the soldiers. As Odin landed, he turned to meet the attack, lowering his head into its path. Lightning crossed the still charged swords in front of her and braced herself.

The sphere collided with Odin and Lightning with an earth shattering blast. The soldiers were blasted several yards down the street by the resulting shockwaves, but Lightning remained in the gaping crater created by the explosion. She opened her eyes and reached for her weapons, but her arms would not obey her commands. As her senses returned, she was again assailed by pain. She managed to lift her head to see Odin fading away back to wherever it was he went when he wasn't fighting alongside her, taking his weapons along with him. She was then aware that the sheath pressing against her back was empty, and turning her head to observe her surroundings, noticed the hilt of her gunblade protruding over the edge of the crater, quite out of reach.

As she frantically tried to come up with some way to get out of her predicament, feeling began to return to her arms. Under closer inspection, they seemed to have escaped major injury, with only minor burns up and down their length. As she glanced down at her legs, however, she stifled a gasp as she saw the extensive burns running up and down both of them. The stinging sensation returning a third time to her face told her that it was again scorched raw. Clenching her teeth through the pain, she began to drag herself up the side of the crater towards her gunblade, thinking she could get out of this if she could just reach her trusted weapon. As she pulled herself along the jagged rocks, wincing every time a particularly sharp one (which turned out to be most them to her dismay) dragged across her injured legs, her thoughts again turned towards her friends. Though she tried to remain optimistic about the bleak situation, the nagging realist in her kept telling her she would not see them again.

After several minutes she grasped the lip of the crater and pulled herself onto the pavement, unable to stifle a moan of pain as her limp legs screamed in agony as she dragged them across the rocky ground. She grasped the hilt of her gunblade with the remaining strength she could muster and stabbed it into the ground to try and pull herself at least into a sitting position.

As she did so, she heard a mocking chuckle from somewhere behind her. She turned slowly to see the monstrous l'Cie she had been fighting standing on the other side of the crater, apparently having enjoyed the spectacle of her dragging herself out of it.

"You know, if you hadn't cut off my other arm, I would be giving you a round of applause right now. That was an impressive performance," he sneered at her, his voice once again dripping with taunting cockiness. "Impressive as you may be, however, I think it's time to end this little contest. I would like to get started on healing these injuries so I can have some more fun. Oh, by the way, do you remember when I said that last attack was all the power I had left?" Lightning renewed her grasp on her gunblade trying once more to pull herself up, but her legs still weren't responding. "I lied," the l'Cie continued, raising his hand, a ball of fire forming in his palm.

_I'm going to die_ she thought, her eyes going wide at the revelation. _I'm going to die…._she said to herself again, unable to believe the words. No matter how bad things had got before, she had never truly, truly thought her life was about to end. The few times she may have brushed the idea, she was able to hold her head high and push it away with the thought that if she did, she would do it fighting. Now here she was, staring it full in the face for the first time of her life. She wasn't going to go down fighting, she was going to be killed like a dog, unable to stand or do anything to stop it. She hung her head, unable to muster the strength to even look at the one who would murder her, and her thoughts turned again to her friends, and the flashed through her mind, as she saw them for what she believed was the last time.

_Serah…I won't get to see your son grow up, I won't be there to lend a hand or an ear when you need it. Snow…I'll never get to hit you again for being a perpetual idiot…and I won't be there to see you keep your promise to Serah. Sazh…I won't ever get to thank you for boarding that train with me so many years ago. Though I didn't know it, our motives were the same, and I never once showed any appreciation for you throwing yourself into the fire at my side. Hope…I won't get to see you become the amazing person I know you will be, I'll won't be there to put you on the path if you should stray…I'll never get to tell you…_she opened her eyes in surprise as she felt a tear slide down her face and off the tip of her nose to the pavement below. At the same time, she felt the tingle of the magic as her killer released the fireball from his hand…

There was a crash as the fireball hit its target and Lightning was sent tumbling away from the impact. _If this is death, it isn't so bad…that didn't even hurt…_After a few moments Lightning opened her eyes, wondering if she was about to see what the afterlife was like, but all she could see was smoke, and all she could feel was the rocky pavement against her back and still injured legs. She turned her head towards the spot where she should have just been killed and as her eyes came into focus, she saw the outline of a gargantuan figure. It looked vaguely familiar, though she couldn't tell what it was. As she took in more details, she was sure she had seen the colossal figure before…familiar stature, and the golden armor glinting in the sun…

Though she wracked her brain, Lightning was unable to discern the identity of her savior until she spotted a second, smaller figure standing in the palm of its outstretched right hand. She recognized the build and stature of this individual and the silver hair that hung to his shoulders. "Hope…Alexander…," she stammered weakly.

Hope looked back at Lightning, and their eyes met. She could see the concern in his eyes, and she hoped that he couldn't see the tear tracks on her face at that distance. She tried to shout out to him, that she was still alive, that she was grateful for him saving her. She tried most of all to warn him about the dangerous foe he was about to face, but she couldn't find her voice. All she could do was try to convey all these thoughts into the few moments their eyes remained locked. She didn't think she could do this, but he was able to convey to her through the tenderness in his eyes that she was going to be okay, that he was going to kill the monster that had hurt her, and bring her home. Content with Hope's silent reassurances, Lightning closed her eyes and succumbed to the inviting darkness.

XXXXX

Hope looked away from the now unconscious Lightning and turned to the figure that he was going to eradicate from the face of Pulse for hurting her so badly. His eyes met with that of his opponent. If the l'Cie who was staring into Hope's eyes had known him, he would have noticed the uncharacteristic fire in the young man's eyes, and he would have known that he was about to die painfully.

"So, another whelp of a l'Cie," he said, looking Hope and Alexander up and down. "Come to save your girlfriend, boy?" he said mockingly. "You're too late. Even if you kill me, that girl will die a slow, agonizing death from her injuries."

Hope said nothing, but continued gazing at the l'Cie, feeling more hatred towards the being in front of him than he had ever felt before. He turned and walked up Alexander's arm and stamped his foot on the eidolon's massive shoulder. At once, Alexander began to transform, great pillars raining from the sky to connect and form the towers of Alexander's castle-like gestalt form.

As Alexander finished his change, the l'Cie facing him snarled and unleashed a continuous stream of fireballs at the eidolon, and Hope felt grim satisfaction at the growing fear etched on the l'Cie's face as his attacks failed to so much as leave scorch marks on Alexander's gleaming armor.

Hope, now standing level with Alexander's face, placed his hand on the eidolon. Alexander understood his meaning, and a small compartment opened in his core and began to glow. The star-shaped gears on his front began to whir and the eidolon thrummed power.

The l'Cie opened his mouth as if to speak, but was unable to find the words. He tried to inch away from the massive eidolon gathering energy in front of him, but stumbled and fell back. Managing to stagger to his feet, his eyes once again met with Hope's and he knew from the cold look in the younger l'Cie's eyes that he was about to die.

Alexander reached a crescendo and released the gathered energy in the form of white lasers from its core. The l'Cie didn't even have time to scream as death rushed towards him and a colossal explosion engulfed him.

Hope did not shield his eyes from the bright white blast, but continued to watch, wanting to see the monster die. From the midst of the pulsing energy, he saw the limp form of the l'Cie, back arched and bleeding eye brand facing the heavens. A pillar of dark red energy escaped from the center of the eye and Hope watched it explode and dissipate high above him. When the explosion from Alexander's attack cleared, the l'Cie's body was dust in the wind. Hope jumped down from Alexander as the eidolon rocketed into the sky, not sparing so much as a second glance for his defeated foe.

XXXXX

When Lightning regained consciousness, the first thing she felt were her legs tingling. She raised her head to see what was going on, and saw Hope crouching over her burned legs, his hand a few inches above them glowing with the magic of a powerful healing spell. She was no longer laying in the destroyed street; Hope had carried her to a patch of grass and trees next to a nearby building that had escaped damage from the fight.

"Hope…" she said weakly. He started and turned to her, noticing she was awake.

"Relax, Light, don't try to move yet," he said to her calmly as she made to sit up. "This is going to take time to heal, but it will take longer if you're moving around."

She lay back down staring up at the light shining through the trees. From the position of the sun, she realized it must an hour or so past noon; She knew the fighting hadn't lasted that long, so she assumed she had been unconscious for a while. She stifled a moan as more feeling returned to her legs and the warm relief from Hope's spell coursed through her body.

"Okay," Hope said several minutes later. I think your legs are going to be ok, but don't move yet. Your arms are still banged up and I think a few of your ribs are broken."

"Hope…I..." she began to say, but he raised his hand to silence her.

"Conserve your strength for now," he said to her. "It will be easier to heal you if you concentrate on me and work with my magic to speed up the process.

She remained silent and closed her eyes, reaching for the energy flowing into her from Hope. She tapped into the bit of power that had returned to her since the fight and added it to his, empowering his spell. With her help, Hope steadily moved his hands up and down her arms, soothing the burnt skin and bruised bones. As he moved over her torso, she was unable to stifle a moan as the spell set her broken ribs and repaired the damage.

"Okay, stand up, stretch a little, see if everything is okay," Hope told her after he was finished healing her. She gingerly got to her feet and stretched her arms and legs. She rubbed her hands over her recently healed ribs, but felt no pain.

"I'm okay, Hope, your spell worked like a charm," she said smiling at him. "Tha-" she started to say, but she was interrupted by Hope wrapping her in a tight embrace, burying his head in her shoulder.

"Dammit, Light, don't scare me like that ever again!" he shouted at her. She was caught off guard by his sudden hug and anger, but when she composed herself, she returned his embrace. "I thought for a second there that I'd lost you," he said weakly into her shoulder. From the sound of his voice, it seemed like he was crying.

"Sorry," was all she managed to say. After a few moments she broke away from him. When he got a good look at her, she noticed his eyes widen, and he reached his hand up and cupped her left cheek.

"What are you-" Lightning started to say, raising her hand to his, but she was cut short when she felt Hope release another healing spell. She felt the familiar tingle and relief and knew that the burn on her face was healed. "Thanks," she said to him, looking away slightly embarrassed by the intimate contact. Hope quickly withdrew his hand as if just realizing what he had done.

She turned back to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's go home," she said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Phew, that last chapter was pretty intense. Some of the stuff stretched out longer than I planned it to go, so some of the stuff I had originally intended to be in the last chapter are gonna be here instead. This one won't have as much action as the last one, but I hope you like it anyway. **

**I'm glad you guys liked the fight scene, I was definitely trying to make it easy to understand. I read R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt books, and it's hard to follow some of the fights he writes…I still don't know what the hell happened with Entreri and Berginyon in Servant of the Shard…**

**I also finally figured out that the shift 8 asterick thing doesn't show up when the document gets translated to the site, so I'm gonna edit in some X's instead to divide up the different scenes in the chapters.**

**Characters courtesy of squenix of course**

Chapter 5

"You're sure everything is okay, right?" Hope asked Lightning for the fourth time as they continued walking towards her home, leaving behind the carnage of the previous battle.

"Yes, Hope, I'm fine," Lightning assured him yet again, an aggravated tone creeping into her voice. "You don't have to keep asking me."

"I know…it's just…you were really banged up back there," he said, glancing over at her with a pained expression on his face. "At first I didn't think you were gonna make it…"

Lightning went over the battle in her mind, wincing inwardly as she realized how injured she truly had been, and how much strength it must have taken for Hope to heal her so thoroughly. As she walked with him, she couldn't help but be impressed at how strong he still was after all this time. She knew he was always very proficient with magic during their travels all those years ago, but to be able to wield it as well as he did today right after regaining it…

She thought back to right before she had passed out. He had saved her in the knick of time. Remembering how she had felt before he arrived, when she thought she was about to die…she was ashamed of how weak she had been. She wasn't used to depending on others like that…_I'm getting soft _she thought to herself.

But she had only ended up in that condition because she had shielded the soldiers from that l'Cie's last attack. She hadn't even thought it through, she had just reacted. _Self-sacrifice isn't really like me_ she found herself thinking. _And I didn't even know any of those soldiers…_at that thought she had a sudden flashback of herself standing over similar soldiers in the Gapra Whitewood. She and Hope had stumbled across several dead soldiers on their way through. The young Hope had showed concern about their fates, but she had callously told him to forget them, they were dead and they didn't matter anymore. _Was I really like that?_ she asked herself as she returned to the present. _Through that whole fight, that bastard had me all riled up, I was making mistakes. He knew I would try to protect the soldiers…how did I change so much over the years? Back then I wouldn't have given those soldiers a second thought after he killed them…_

Her gaze wandered onto Hope, who was walking a few feet in front of her. _It all started with him_ she thought. _While we traveled together I started to open up to him little by little. I guess I saw myself in him…just lost his parent, having to grow up to adjust to a harsh and cruel world…I failed Serah when she came to me for help, and I tried to seek forgiveness through helping Hope, to be there for him. I knew what he was going through, knew what it was like to go through it alone. And I eventually let the others in too…even that idiot Snow. And now I'm too soft…_an image of the mysterious l'Cie she had just fought sprung into her mind. _How could I let a bastard like him jerk me around so much?_

She bawled her fists in anger at her sides. How could she have let this happen to herself? Worst of all was that when she looked at Hope, she knew he never lost his cool in the fight. _He probably wouldn't have been shaken as much by that guy as I was, if he had been the one fighting him since the beginning instead of me…he may be emotional sometimes, but he knows what he's fighting for. He has conviction that I lack…_she thought back to the times during the fight when she had thought of her friends, the people who had become a family to her. _Family. They used to say that back then too, but…I don't know if I ever really felt it. Back then I didn't fight for them, or even Serah, no matter what I told myself. I fought for the sake of fighting…I fought to break the chains of fate that had bound us all to each other and to a destiny we didn't choose. Now that I lack that motivation…what is it that I fight for?_ She thought again of her friends and how happy all of them were with their lives since the fall of Cocoon. Sure it had been hard at first, but they had gotten what they wanted, they had been able to return to their normal lives. _I tried to do that too, but…I guess the problem was I didn't really have much in my 'normal life' worth returning to. Even though Serah had said she forgave me for the way I acted when I found out she was a l'Cie…there was always a nagging thought in the back of my head telling my that she hated me for it, that my stubbornness had ruined the relationship between us. She was the reason I became a soldier in the first place…after our parents died, I had to toughen up and take care of her alone. A part of me was jealous of her. My childhood was over after that, and I sacrificed it so that she could enjoy hers. That resentment made me cold towards her…I was the only one she had back then and I buried myself in my new identity as a soldier…as 'Lightning.' Now that she has her 'hero' why the hell would she need a sister like me for?_

_So what can I honestly say that I have that's worth fighting for? _Flashes of the soldiers being killed by the invading l'Cie popped up in her mind. _I couldn't do anything for them…they were fighting to protect their families and their homes and they gave their lives to do so. _Images of her friends flashed through her mind yet again. _I don't know if I can say I fight for them_. "Lightning can't protect anything, only destroy," she muttered to herself under her breath.

_Then that's what I'll do_ she decided to herself after a while. _I'll destroy scum like that l'Cie and make the world a better place for them. Their reasons to fight can become my reason to fight. _She glanced up at Hope again, and felt a sudden surge of guilt. _He got dragged back into all of this with me…if I had been stronger he wouldn't have had to fight. Whoever or whatever gave us our brands back must have known I wouldn't be able to handle whatever it is we have to do myself…it's my fault that he got dragged back into this l'Cie bullshit. _

"You shouldn't have gone alone, you know," Hope said suddenly, snapping Lightning back to reality. "We both got our brands back for a reason…we're in this together Light."

She sighed. "I didn't want you to get involved in all this again. You have a life now, you have a future. He stopped in his tracks, and she nearly bumped into him. He turned to her with a confused look on his face.

"And you don't? What about your sister and your friends? They don't mean anything to you?" he asked her, as she had just asked herself.

"Of course they mean something to me, but….they don't need me. Fighting is all I know how to do, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to fight whatever it is we got these brands back to fight so none of you get sucked into this shit again. And the farther you all are from me, there's less of a chance of that happening. I'll complete our new focus to keep you all safe…that's all I can do," she walked past Hope and stopped. "Lightning can't protect, only destroy," she repeated to him.

Hope grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him, drawing a startled look from Lightning. "Don't give me that. You may be Lightning to everyone else, but you told me to call you 'Light', and Light can protect people. You did a hell of a lot more than just protect me all those years ago, you saved me from myself. If it wasn't for you, I would have lost myself in regret and anger and despair…." Hope trailed off and took a deep breath, as if searching for what to say next. He raised his left arm and removed his glove, exposing his blue-white l'Cie brand to her. "I'm already involved, like it or not, Light. Do you honestly think I can just ignore this? That I can get on that train later and go back to my life while you face whatever this is alone?"

Lightning looked away from Hope's intense gaze, unable to look into his eyes, which were alight with the same passion she had seen during the previous fight. "L-let's just go home…okay? We'll figure things out there," she stammered out lamely. She set into a brisk pace and continued on. Hope stood rooted to the spot for a few moments, lost in thought, but eventually came to, and jogged after her.

XXXXX

When they finally arrived back at Lightning's house, night had nearly fallen. As they entered, Lightning realized how exhausted she was, but the first thing she did was take a long, hot shower to wash the grime of battle from her body. While she was scrubbing the sweat and blood from herself, she kept thinking about what Hope had said to her. He had said that she had saved him, but she couldn't shake the thought that even that had been for her own selfish reasons. He had just been something convenient to cling to in the midst of all the chaos back then. He probably would have been much better off going with the others than following her on her quest….to what? Get revenge on the sanctum? What the hell had she expected to accomplish with such a ridiculous plan? It had taken the insight of Hope to show her what a fool she had been, that her absurd mission was just something she had created to keep herself from having to deal with what she was really feeling, something to distract her from reality.

Lightning stood in the shower, her hand against the wall underneath the shower head. She looked down at the water running past her feet and watched as the last of the blood and grime swirled down the drain. She thought back to the last few days since Hope had arrived for the reunion. All that seemed so long ago…She remembered the night Hope had arrived, and how happy she had been to see him, and the days after that they had spent talking and laughing with their friends. She remembered all the talks that she and Hope had when they were at her house together…_ I've been distant with Serah since she awoke from her crystal stasis…Hope was the only person left that I could really talk to without reservation…_

She glanced down at the brand pulsing softly on her chest and a dark expression crossed her face. _Now I've ruined that too…he took time away from his normal life to come here to spend time with his normal friends…but I'm still a train wreck and because of that, he got dragged down with me. I couldn't defeat that l'Cie by myself, and now he feels sorry for me, feels obligated to help me complete whatever stupid focus we got stuck with…Because of me, he's literally branded as an outcast, unable to return to his normal life…How can he not hate me? _Lightning soon lost track of how long she had been standing there, lost in her thoughts. If it hadn't been for the deluge of the shower she was still under, she would have noticed the tears sliding down her face for the second time that day.

XXXXX

Hope was on the couch in Lightning's living room, hands behind his head staring at the ceiling and half listening to the evening news. He had originally been listening intently to what the various reporters were saying, but after a few boring reports he had no interest in, he had let his attention wander. The military was apparently still keeping the details of what happened earlier that day under wraps. _They probably don't even know what happened themselves _Hope thought, after he recognized the ending jingle associated with the news program he had been watching. He turned the vid screen off, not wanting to be distracted by whatever program followed the news. He continued staring at the ceiling in silence.

_I hope she's alright_ he thought to himself. As soon as they had arrived back at the house, Lightning had announced her intention of taking a shower and a finding a fresh set of non-charred clothes, and disappeared upstairs. She had been up there for over an hour already, and Hope was starting to think she had just gone straight to sleep. He was confident that his healing spells had been successful, so he wasn't concerned about her physical well being too much, but after what she had said on the way home, he was seriously worried about her emotional well being. He wracked his brain for some sign over the past few days that he might have missed, some hint he should have picked up on that would have made it clear how much she was still going through.

_Maybe she didn't know herself_ he thought after a while. _She seemed perfectly fine yesterday, but from what she said to me before, it's obvious that she has been dealing with whatever she's dealing with for a long time…I guess staring death in the face like she was back there was what it took to finally break down her wall of stoicism. _An image of the few moments he had looked at her before she had passed out from her injuries broke into his mind. He hadn't mentioned it to her, but he had seen the tear tracks on her face. _All I can do now is try to give her some space, let her sort through whatever might have broken out when her walls crumbled. _He sighed heavily and lay down on the couch and closed his eyes. _But with how stubborn she is, we'll be Cieth by the time she does…_

XXXXX

Hope awoke suddenly sometime later. _Shit…I must have fallen asleep_ he said to himself as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. A quick glance at the clock in the room told him that he had been sleeping for only a bit longer than half an hour. He looked around to see what had woken him, and immediately saw that it was Lightning, who had finally come downstairs. She was standing at the foot of the staircase wearing sweat pants and a tank top. Her expression was unreadable.

"Sorry," she said quietly as she noticed him stirring. "I tried not to wake you, but the stairs creak…" she trailed off. Though he could barely hear her, hope noticed that she sounded depressed.

"Don't worry about it, I just dozed off for a little bit," he said with a smile, hoping to cheer her up. _Sounds like she's still trying to sort things out_ he thought. He watched as she walked across the room and took a seat on the cough opposite him, studying her, trying to pick up anything in her expression or body language that might help him understand what was tormenting her. They sat in silence for several minutes, Lightning staring transfixed at the floor, oblivious to Hope's searching gaze. When he could discern nothing, he decided to simply ask her, figuring that he might be able to glean something from her reaction.

"Light…are you okay?" he asked softly, looking over at her with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine, I already told you, you're healing spells worked great," she murmured without looking up at him. Hope noticed a lack of emotion in her answer. She wasn't even annoyed at the question like she had been before.

"I know they worked," Hope replied, "That's not what I meant. I saw you before you passed out, and after when I was healing you…you obviously went through some heavy stuff. What happened?"

Lightning continued staring at the floor for several minutes. Hope was just about to ask her again when she began speaking.

"He slaughtered them," she said finally, not looking up. A pained expression crossed her face as she sifted through the memories of what had happened. "He slaughtered them and he laughed."

"Who?" Hope asked her.

"The soldiers who were there before me…they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when he attacked and…they never stood a chance. More came in carriers…he killed them to. I couldn't do a thing to stop him."

Hope got up and crossed the room to sit next to her. "Light…" he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She continued speaking, making no indication that she noticed his touch. "I got so angry…I couldn't control myself. I tried to attack him with magic, but it didn't work. He told me it was because I was letting my anger control me. I managed to get control of myself, and I summoned Odin. We attacked him, and eventually hit him with zantetsuken…I was sure he was dead but he got back up…he conjured this massive fireball, and I gathered the strength I had left to finish him but..."

Lightning went silent, her gaze still fixed on the same spot. Hope removed his hand from her shoulder and stayed silent, allowing her to gather her thoughts. After another minute, she continued speaking.

"More soldiers came from the next street, and he aimed at them instead. I…jumped in front of them and tried to block the attack. The next thing I knew, Odin was gone and I was in a huge crater. My legs wouldn't move, so I had to drag myself out of it. When I got to the top, he was there, laughing at me. He readied his attack and…I was sure I was about to die…then you showed up," she finished, looking up at him at last.

"Light…it wasn't your fault," Hope said quietly, trying to reassure her. He put his hand on her shoulder again, and she offered him a small smile. She sighed and looked back down at the floor.

"Then why does it feel like it was? I know there wasn't anything I could have done, but…" she looked back up at him, a forlorn expression on her face. "They were just more people that I couldn't protect."

"But Light…" Hope started, but Lightning interrupted him.

"Hope…I think you should go home," she said in a dull tone. "The last train to Palumpolum leaves soon, we can make it if we leave now…"

"I thought I already told you I wasn't going anywhere, Light. Remember what you said to me in the original Palumpolum? You told me that you'd keep me safe and I…I told you that I'd watch out for you too. I won't sit back while you do this by yourself. Can you honestly look me in the face and tell me to go home while you take of everything by yourself?" Hope shouted at her angrily. He could tell Lightning was taken aback by his uncharacteristic display of anger, towards her of all people, but he didn't care. _She still thinks I'm child _he thought to himself, struggling to calm down. Lightning seemed at a loss for words, and a terse silence filled the room.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Hope said finally, lowering his voice and looking embarrassed for his outburst. "All the trains in the area aren't gonna be running for the next few days. We're right next to the Nautilus district, so most of them are being diverted to help repair the damage over there. That was about the only detail about this morning that the military has released on the news so far," he finished, unable to keep an icy edge out of his tone.

Lightning stood up and ran her hand through her hair, a frustrated look on her face. "Fine. We'll figure this out tomorrow. I'm going to bed." She turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving Hope alone with his anger.

XXXXX

Lightning crawled into bed, trying to push the tumult of thoughts and images from her head. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase them from her mind. The soldiers screaming in agony, the heat of the fire on her face, the street littered with charred corpses, and the incessant mocking laughter of the monstrous l'Cie that had almost killed her…

XXXXX

Lightning was running through a dark corridor, panting hard, sweat dripping down her face. She turned her head to look behind her. A raging inferno filled the hallway and was closing in on her fast. She continued running, putting on a burst of speed to escape the blistering flames hot on her heels.

The corridor abruptly ended, and Lightning found herself in dimly lit room. She looked behind her, but the fire that had been pursuing her was gone. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that she was standing in the room within the Pulse fal'Cie where she and the others had first become l'Cie. As she looked around, the room became filled with a soft glow that became stronger and stronger until she had to shield her eyes from the light. As the glow subsided, she opened her eyes and saw that it had been emitted from a large dome on the other side of the room. The dome shifted and opened, and Lightning dropped into a fighting stance, ready to face the core of the fal'Cie that had cursed her.

She was surprised, however, when the dome opened to reveal several people inside. After a moment, she realized that they were her friends. Serah, Snow, Sazh, Fang, Vanille, and Hope all looked up as they noticed her before them, and began shouting her name. Lightning took a few steps towards them, but a line of fire burst out of the ground, forming a barrier separating her from her friends. She watched in horror as the fire closed in on the people she cared about, who began frantically calling for help.

"Lightning!" Serah called, falling backwards as the fire inched closer to the group from all sides. "Help us!"

"I-I can't," she called back to them, as she fell to her knees before the inferno in her way. The fire closed in on her friends, and Lightning screamed. As it began to consume the group huddling together trying to escape it, Lightning's scream was drowned out by crazed laughter. She covered her ears to try and shut it out, but it seemed to be coming from inside her skull. Unable to escape the sound, she curled into a ball and clutched at the sides of her head, and everything went dark around her.

Lightning opened her eyes when she could no longer hear the insane laughter. She lay on a cold stone floor, and as she looked around, she was unable to see anything beyond the circle of light illuminating the spot that she laid in. She began to hear a soft twinkling melody from somewhere above her, followed by the growing rumble of some large machine. Before she could remember where she had heard the music before, the circle of light grew to reveal that she was encircled by several large horned statues holding swords. A single word resounded through the chamber, the force of it making Lightning's teeth chatter.

"Come…"

XXXXX

Lightning woke with a start, sitting upright in her bed. The moonlight shining in through her window told her it was still the middle of the night, and she realized she was drenched in sweat. She got up and walked over to the window, gazing up at the star filled sky, trying to make sense of what she had just seen.

XXXXX

"The mysterious disturbance yesterday morning has left the entire western section of the Nautilus district in a state of ruin. The assailant or assailants unknown entered through the western gate of New Eden around nine o'clock in the morning and proceeded to attack civilians indiscriminately. Though the intruder was eventually stopped, the current death toll is estimated to be over five hundred military personnel and soldiers, while the property damage is estimated to be over 1.5 billion gil."

Hope pressed a button on the remote in his hand, and the vid screen went blank. He tossed the remote onto the couch where he was sitting. "Guess that's all they are gonna say," he said to himself. "Probably don't want to worry everyone with stories of l'Cie terrorists….Or l'Cie defenders," he finished bitterly. He looked up as he heard a creak from across the room.

Lightning was coming down the stairs, and as Hope watched her, he was surprised to see her looking so untidy, as opposed to her usually immaculate appearance. Her hair was disheveled and matted to the side of her head, and her eyes had visible bags.

"You okay?" he asked her, concerned.

"Didn't get much sleep," she replied groggily.

"Bad dreams?"

"Something like that."

An awkward silence fell over the two, reminiscent of their conversation from the previous night. Hope knew that she, like him, was remembering the not-so-friendly manner in which they had parted. Both were spared from breaking the silence, however, when the phone rang. Lightning walked into the kitchen and picked it up.

"Hello?" she said wearily.

"Claire! Finally, I've been worried sick! Where were you yesterday? I was calling all afternoon trying to get a hold of you. There was something on the news about some kind of disturbance over in Nautilus yesterday morning, and this morning they said we were attacked by something. What the hell is going on? Are you okay?" Serah said all this very quickly in a voice mixed with a combination of concern, annoyance, and relief.

"Serah, calm down, everything is fine," Lightning replied.

"Don't give me that crap, Claire, I know you know what happened yesterday, and we're all worried about you and Hope."

"Alright, alright," Lightning said, taken off guard by Serah's anger and the use of her real name. "I'll tell you but…not over the phone. We'll be there soon."

"Fine," Serah said, some of the anger leaving her voice. "But if you're not here in an hour, we're coming there," she said fiercely, and hung up.

Lightning put the phone back on the receiver and sighed heavily. She didn't want to get any of them involved in this; she hadn't even planned on telling them about the brands that she and Hope once again sported.

"We should tell them," Hope spoke up from the living room, as if he had read her mind. "They deserve to know."

"I don't want to worry them," Lightning answered, walking into the living room and turning to him.

"They're already worried, Light," came his response. "You can't just shut them out."

"The more we tell them, the more danger they are in," she pressed on stubbornly.

Hope stood up and looked at her intently. "So what are you gonna do, Light, just run away again? Because that worked out great last time." His voice lacked the anger he had shown the previous night, but the accusatory tone that replaced it was just as unexpected to Lightning.

"I don't know, okay!" she shouted at him. She looked away, unable to bare his reproachful gaze. She sat down on the couch, her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do…"

Hope sat down next to her and put a hand on her back. "We have to tell them, Light. Even if you don't believe it, they care about you. They'd want to know."

A few moments passed in silence. Hope said nothing, but allowed his words to sink in. Finally, Lightning looked up.

"My velocycle was destroyed yesterday…" she said, with a small smile.

"Guess we're walking then," Hope said, returning the expression.

XXXXX

Half an hour later, after Lightning had cleaned herself up a bit, she and Hope were walking down the street, Hope leading the way.

"We're lucky they live close enough to walk," Hope said, turning to look at her. "We're almost there."

Lightning nodded, but a thought occurred to her. "Hope," she started, drawing his attention. "How did you get to me yesterday?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with confusion.

"I mean that velocycle was the only vehicle I had, it would have taken you hours to get there on foot, and I doubt a taxi would have taken you over there, given the circumstances."

Hope scratched the back of his head, a guilty expression on his face. "Yeah…about that….well I kinda…stole your neighbor's car…"

Lightning's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Well, I didn't really have any options…so I jump started it with a thunder spell. I drove towards the Nautilus district as fast as the thing would go. Eventually, I could feel the energy you were giving off, so I didn't have any trouble finding you."

"What happened to it?" Lightning asked, genuinely curious about Hope's law breaking.

"Well after I healed you enough to be sure you weren't gonna die, I went back for it. I wanted to take you home to finish the healing before the military showed up, but I guess the first spell fried the damn thing; it wouldn't start. So I finished healing you there instead. We got lucky that more soldiers didn't get there until after we left, they would have asked awkward questions."

"I'm having a bad influence on you, Hope," Lightning said, chuckling softly.

XXXXX

"Claire!" Serah called, wrapping her sister in a tight hug as she and Hope entered the house. Hope could tell that Lightning was looking uncomfortable.

"Hey guys," Hope said, looking around at the group assembled around him. Serah, Snow, and Sazh had been sitting in the living room when they had arrived, clearly waiting anxiously for them to show up.

They all exchanged greetings and settled in, Hope and Lightning sitting on a couch facing the rest of them, who were impatiently waiting to be let in on whatever had happened the previous day.

"So, you gonna tell us or what, Sis?" Snow asked. Lightning shot him an annoyed look, but said nothing. She looked nervously at Hope, who nodded and took over.

"Before we tell you, there's something we should probably show you," he said. He held his left arm out to them and pulled off his glove, revealing the blue-white brand on his wrist.

As he had expected, they all gasped, which was quickly followed by a rush of questions, none of which he could make out over their combined frantic shouting. Hope held his non branded arm up to silence them.

"We don't know any more than you guys do. We woke up yesterday morning, and our brands were back," he told them calmly.

"Claire's too?" Serah asked, looking at her sister with concern. Lightning held her hand up to her chest, and her brand glowed in response, saving her from having to unbutton her shirt to show them.

Hope continued speaking. "The person who attacked us yesterday was also a l'Cie," he told them, drawing more gasps, though they forestalled the frantic questioning this time. "Though his brand was a lot bigger than ours, and he was really strong. We don't know where he came from, and he's not up to answering any questions anymore." In their disbelief at the situation, no one but Lightning noticed the hardness that crept into Hope's voice as he talked about the l'Cie he had recently killed.

"What happened?" Serah asked them as Hope fell silent.

Hope glanced sideways at Lightning and gave her a small nod. She felt a rush of gratitude towards him when she realized he was letting her tell them about the fight, so that she could decide whether or not to discuss the gorier details of what happened.

"We heard the soldiers calling for backup over my radio," Lightning spoke up, drawing all eyes to her. We decided to check it out. When we showed up, we found this guy burning everything around him, people, buildings, anything he could reach. After he slaughtered all the soldiers, he turned on us. We fought, and we noticed he had a huge l'Cie brand across his chest. We knew it couldn't be a coincidence that the morning our brands returned, the city gets attacked by some strange l'Cie. Eventually, with the help of our eidolons, we killed him."

As she finished, Hope looked at her with concern. He wouldn't reveal to the rest of them what had actually happened, but he was worried that Lightning was going to try and repress what had happened instead of dealing with it. He remained silent as the others plowed Lightning with further questions, most of which she gave short simple answers, many of which were blatant lies. After about ten minutes of this, Lightning had apparently had enough and stood up.

"We don't know enough about how or why any of this happened to do anything about it now," she told them.

"That didn't stop you last time," Sazh said to her.

"Please, Claire, don't do anything stupid, I know you too well to think that you're just gonna wait for something else to happen," Serah said with concern.

"Yea, Sis," Snow continued, "we can help you deal with this."

"No," Lightning said sharply. She was determined to keep them from getting involved. "You guys don't have your brands anymore….you wouldn't stand a chance against whatever else may come," she said, walking towards the door.

"Heroes don't sit on the sidelines when…" Snow began, but Lightning cut him off.

"Heroes don't abandon their family to rush into a fight that isn't any of their concern," she said coldly, opening the door and not turning around. A stiff silence filled the room as she exited the house.

Hope got up and looked apologetically around at them. Snow wore a stunned expression, Serah trying to comfort him, but wearing a look of incredulity as well. Sazh had his arms folded, apparently lost in though. Hope couldn't think of anything to say to them, so he walked to the door to follow Lightning. Before he could leave however, a hand caught his arm. He turned around to find himself face to face with Serah, who was giving him a pleading look.

"Hope," she said, clearly on the verge of tears. "Take care of Claire…" Hope said nothing, but gave her an assuring nod, and left the house to find Lightning.

XXXXX

Hope found Lightning on the next street, walking at a brisk pace. He broke into a quick jog to catch up with her. She stopped as she heard him approach.

"I know you don't want them to get involved," he said to her as she turned to face him. "But you don't have to treat them like that."

"It's better this way. If they followed us, they would just be liabilities…they don't have their l'Cie powers anymore, they wouldn't be able to stand up to monsters like that bastard from yesterday," she replied.

"I know but…" Hope started, but he trailed off, unable to come up with a retort.

"There's no use arguing over it," she said to him. "Let's just go home for now."

"I'll meet you there later," Hope said to her. "I need to take care of a few things first."

She looked at him curiously, but didn't press for details. "Okay, I'll see you later then," she said, as she continued walking away. Hope watched her go, not moving from the spot. When she turned the corner and walked out of sight, he gave a heavy sigh and started down a different street.

XXXXX

Bartholomew Estheim walked slowly down a hallway, cleaning his glasses on his shirt and looking worried. He was on his way to a council meeting, no doubt called to discuss the disturbance that had occurred the previous day. Knowing some of the details already, he knew this would be an unpleasant meeting.

He entered the chamber and looked around. The twelve other members of the council were already assembled, and looked around expectantly at him as he walked in and sat down. After they all settled in, a man at the end of the table stood up to speak.

"As I'm sure you are all aware, New Eden was attacked yesterday morning by an unknown assailant. The Nautilus District where the attack took place has suffered heavy damage, and the civilians in the area and military personnel who went to investigate suffered extreme casualties," he said, looking grimly around at them. He looked towards a plump bearded man down the table. "Heidegar, as you are the councilman representing the Nautilus district, we will let you give us further details of this attack."

The man called Heidegar rose, a stack of papers in his hand, and began to read off damage and casualty reports. Despite the situation, Bartholomew couldn't keep down a feeling of distaste as the man spoke; he wasn't very fond of the outspoken and aggressive Heidegar.

As he finished, another man spoke up. "That's all very interesting I'm sure, but do we have any details about the attacker? For god's sake, whoever he was, he managed to break down the reinforce adamantium door on the west gate. I doubt someone or something capable of that wouldn't have been defeated by the paltry forces that were sent over there." As he spoke, several other council members nodded in agreement, looking around at each other. Heidegar looked annoyed at the ignoring of his reports, but he sat down and looked around as well, his curiosity overcoming his anger.

After another moment, a wiry man stood up on the other end of the table. "I believe I may be able to provide some answers to that," the man said in an oily voice. "I have here several reports from surviving soldiers and civilians who witnessed parts of the event, and I would share the conclusions I have drawn with the rest of you."

"Well, let's hear it, Rufus," Heidegar said impatiently. Bartholomew was once again unable to contain a feeling of distaste; Rufus was a conniving bastard, and the only member of the council he disliked more than Heidegar.

"Several of the reports are disjointed and unclear; the ones who gave them were clearly still traumatized from the event, and almost all of them were injured," Rufus began, looking around at the council. "But the thing many of them had in common was that the attacker was using an extremely powerful form of fire magic. Considering the extent of the damage done, it is highly unlikely he was using a mana drive."

"So what are you saying?" piped up a woman sitting next to him.

"I believe that we were attacked by a l'Cie yesterday," Rufus said gravely. At his words, murmurs began to ripple across the chamber. When Rufus started speaking again, they quickly subsided.

"Even more interesting, it seems, is how the attacker was defeated. Several of the soldiers to arrive at the scene later have claimed they saw a woman wearing military officer rank markings fighting the assailant with magic of a similar power to that of the enemy's." This news stirred up more excited murmurs among the council.

"If you all remember," Rufus continued, "One of the l'Cie involved in the events six years ago surrounding the fall of Cocoon was a woman in the military with a rank identical to that reported by the soldiers. I suggest that we bring her and the rest of the people involved in that event in for interrogation."

Bartholomew spoke at this not unexpected suggestion. "Don't you think that you're jumping to conclusions?" he said angrily, drawing all eyes to him. "None of those people are l'Cie any longer, and you all know it."

"Yes, but it seems too much of a coincidence, don't you think Bartholomew?" Rufus said to him, clearly having expected his protests to the idea.

"Even if it was one of them, from what you said they obviously saved us. If that madman had been allowed to roam unchecked, the damage to the city would have been catastrophic! We should be bringing them in to thank them, not interrogate them!" he finished, slamming his fist on the table dramatically.

"Pfft save it, Estheim," Heidegar interjected. "We all know why you defend that pack of freaks so much. We know your son is one of them."

"How dare you…" Bartholomew started, but Rufus interrupted them.

"Gentlemen please," Rufus said, silencing the two men. "Let us decide this in a civilized manner. All in favor of bringing these…former l'Cie in for questioning, please raise your hand now."

Bartholomew looked around helplessly as every other councilman besides himself raised their hand.

XXXXX

Later that night, Lightning lay in her bed staring up at her ceiling, going over the events of the day in her head. Telling the rest of her friends about her and Hope's brands had been the last thing she had wanted to do, but it had gone as well as she could have expected. After she returned home, she had sat in silence for an hour and a half before Hope had returned, a bag slung over his shoulder. She hadn't questioned him about it, hadn't said much of anything to him for the rest of the day. She was trying to prepare herself to do what she knew she had to.

After a time, she got out of bed, still fully attired in her military gear. Without turning on the light, she inspected herself to make sure she had all the things that she needed and crept silently out of the room. She walked carefully through the hallway towards the stairs, stopping for a moment in front of the door to Hope's room. She wanted more than anything to knock, to wake him up and take him with her, but she knew what she had to do. Silently sighing to herself, she crept down the stairs, dodging the creaky ones and making as little noise as possible.

She was almost to the front door, when the light flicked on, startling her. Her hand was at the hilt of her gunblade when she heard a familiar voice.

"You're an idiot," it said, and she relaxed her grip, realizing it was Hope. She looked over to see him standing next to the light switch, his arms crossed and an angry look on his face.

"Hope…"she started slowly, but he interrupted her.

"You had the dream to, didn't you?" he said. Lightning's eyes widened. "You had the dream with the music and the statues, telling you to go to Taejin's Tower."

"H-how…" she stammered out, but Hope interrupted her again.

"I knew it. The night before we woke up with our brands, I had a similar dream. Vanille was talking me, telling me she was sorry, that she was giving me something to help me do what had to be done." He raised his branded arm to her, and it pulsed softly. "This," he said. "You had that dream too, didn't you?"

She looked down, remembering well the dream she had that night. "It was Fang in mine," she said quietly.

"What?" Hope asked curiously.

"It was Fang talking to me in my dream, not Vanille," She answered.

"They knew what was going to happen," Hope said. "They knew, and somehow they gave our power back to us. To BOTH of us, Light. They knew we wouldn't be able to face this alone."

"Hope…" she said again.

"Stop. We already went over this. I'm going with you, and there's nothing you can say or do to change my mind." He reached into the bag she had seen him bring home earlier that day and pulled out a thick cloak, throwing it over himself. He pulled out a second identical one and threw it to her. "Here, take this. It's cold out there. I picked up some traveling supplies for us today. It should be enough to get us to the tower without having to stop to hunt for anything."

Lightning caught the cloak, but didn't put it on. It wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't going as she had planned, but she was nevertheless cheered up considerably by this turn of events. She hadn't had the strength to confess to Hope that she knew she couldn't do it alone, that she knew she would need his help, but he had figured it out on his own. She felt more grateful to him for that than for anything else.

"Are you coming?" he asked her, opening the front door and turning to look at her.

She threw the cloak over herself and nodded. "Hope…," she started, looking for the right words to express her gratitude. He looked at her curiously. "Thanks," she said finally. He gave her a quick smile, and the two of them stepped into the cold Pulse night, ready to face whatever destiny had in store for them together.

XXXXX

**Damn, this one took me a lot longer to write than I thought it would. I spent a long time staring at the computer screen trying to get the interactions between Lightning and Hope just the way I wanted them.**

**I'm looking forward to continuing the story. I've thought out the direction I want to take it, and I feel good about what I came up with. I hope you guys are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, this chapter took longer than I anticipated to be released, but there is a good reason. Despite having previously said I knew where I wanted to take the story, I was still fine tuning the details. As I sifted through my brain, it quickly became apparent that several of the ideas I was coming up with had some flaws to them. Whether they were contradicted in some manner by something that happened in the game, didn't have any interesting direction I could think of to take them, or just didn't make any kind of sense at all, I was getting frustrated. I wanted my story to make sense with the plot of the game, and I wanted you guys to like it.**

**So I've spent the past two days wracking my brain trying to string together the ideas I had into something that I was satisfied with. Just when I was starting to think I wasn't going to be able to deliver something I would be proud of, I came up with an interesting thought, seemingly out of nowhere. I grabbed a pen and a piece of printer paper and started writing it down.**

**Several hours and 4 pages of printer paper (filled front and back) later, I put down my pen and stared at the outline I had come up with. And I can say in all confidence that I do now know where I want this story to go, that when it's finished it will be something that I will be proud to have written, and most of all that I think you guys will like it. **

**The only thing I haven't planned is how Hope and Light's relationship will pan out. In the past few chapters, I've been letting it develop on its own, and with the major story in mind, I feel that this particular sub plot will turn out the best if I write it as I go along, as a reaction to the main plot.**

**Unfortunately, my writing time may take a hit. I have to pick up some slack at work after a psychotic co worker got fired. Possibly worse, my friends are trying to get me to relapse back into the electronic drug known as world of warcraft, and I can feel my resistance failing. However, I promise to those of you who are reading this and are enjoying it, that I will make as much time for it as I can. I know how much it sucks to wait a week or more for an update on a fan fic, and I don't want to do that to you guys. I'll find time to crank out updates somehow; sleep is for squares anyway =)**

**Lastly, I will once again credit square enix with the characters and original story. I'm not exactly sure if this is required in every chapter by the site, but it seems to be what all the cool kids are doing, so yeah…**

**Anyway, sorry for rambling. Here's chapter 6**

Chapter 6

Two soldiers stood on the rooftop of the building across from Lightning's house, watching two cloaked figures exiting the building. The soldiers were adorned in light, black body armor and equipped with high tech night vision goggles. They quickly glanced at one another, and one of them reached into his belt and pulled out a small communication radio.

"Surveillance team one reporting in," he spoke quietly into the radio.

"Roger that, Surveillance team. What's the status on your targets?" the radio crackled back.

"Both targets exited the house and seem equipped for travel. Should we pursue and engage?" the soldier asked.

"Negative, Surveillance team, targets are too dangerous. Alpha unit will move in to apprehend the targets shortly."

The soldier that been talking into the radio looked at his companion after the transmission ended. "Better them then us," he said, sounding relieved.

XXXXX

_Shit_ Bartholomew Estheim cursed to himself as he exited the council chambers at last. The meeting had stretched on well into the night, and Bartholomew knew exactly why. Rufus had been stalling as much as he could so that he wouldn't have a chance to contact Hope or his friends and warn them about their impending arrest. Several squads of soldiers had already been deployed to apprehend them.

As he walked through the council building towards the exit, he could feel the gazes of several of his fellow councilmen boring into the back of his head. He knew they were waiting for him to try and contact his son, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to pull out his cell phone right then and there and call Hope. But he knew that he had to control himself. The only reason Rufus hadn't had him arrested already was that he had no reason or precedent to do so. He couldn't lose his cool now; he wouldn't be doing Hope any good by getting himself arrested for treason.

_Shit_ he thought to himself again.

XXXXX

"It's too bad your velocycle got destroyed, we could have saved a lot of travel time with some kind of vehicle," Hope said to Lightning as they walked through the streets of New Eden, heading for the south gate. "I don't want to steal any more cars either, but I'm not looking forward to trekking all the way to the Archylte Steppe." Once they had exited the city it would take them nearly a week to reach the Archylte Steppe on foot, and then they would come out on the eastern edge of the area. They would have to cross the entire length of the Steppe to reach the caverns that would take them to Taejin's tower.

"It's probably for the best," Lightning replied. "Military vehicles have homing sensors built in so they can track down soldiers in case they break down for any reason. Most civilian vehicles have some type of tracker too, so they don't get stolen."

"Okay, no vehicles then," Hope said with a sigh. He patted the bag of supplies hanging over his shoulder. "Maybe we should do some hunting after all. I don't fancy living on dehydrated nutrient pellets for the whole trip."

"We'll be fine," Lightning reassured him. "Besides you're forgetting about Odin. If we ride him all the way, we can make it to the Mah'habara caverns in three or four days."

"Oh…right," Hope said, trying to sound relieved. He had seen Odin in gestalt mode, and he didn't think it looked too comfortable. On top of that, his stomach did a few back flips as he realized that these new travel arrangements would have him sitting very close to Lightning. When they had gone back and forth to Snow and Serah's place on her velocycle, it had only taken a few minutes and it was steady. Odin would be bouncing up and down as he galloped and he was sure that the rubbing up against Lightning's back that would be caused by this would result in some awkward….stimulation on his part. And that of course would lead to a pretty pissed off Lightning….He put his hand over his face and groaned inwardly. _I think I'd rather walk_ he thought to himself, trying to contain his queasiness.

They walked on in silence for several more minutes, and Hope noticed that Lightning was becoming tenser by the second. Just when he was about to ask her what was wrong, she whispered so quietly he had to strain his ears to hear her.

"Hope, keep walking. We're being followed," she said out of the corner of her mouth. Hope had to stop himself from looking around.

"By who?" he asked her, trying to keep his voice low as possible. He was grateful that the hoods of the cloaks he had bought for them would probably keep their pursuers from noticing their whispered conversation.

"Soldiers, I think," came Lightning's reply. Before he could ask her what they should do, she whipped her gunblade out of its sheath in one fluid movement and fired a shot at the roof of a building across the street. The shot embedded itself in the side of the building, centimeters from the face of a masked soldier, who been laying on his stomach peering down at them. Hope had nearly jumped out of his skin when the sound of the bullet cracked through the night, and he tried to compose himself while he heard the gasps of soldiers from several directions followed quickly by the clicks of them readying their guns.

"Come out," Lightning called to their startled pursuers. Hope watched as a dozen men dressed in black and outfitted with assault rifles descended from several rooftops and emerged from a few alleys and formed a circle around them. He studied the soldiers and counted four of them carrying mana drives.

"Why were you following us?" Lightning called sharply to the assembled men around them. When no reply was forthcoming she removed her hood and pulled out a badge with glowing red stripes. "I am Lieutenant Lightning Farron of the Bodhum district security division, and I demand to know why you are following us."

A soldier stepped forward from the group and addressed Lightning. "We've been ordered to apprehend you and your companion for questioning regarding the incident yesterday."

A pit opened in Hope's stomach. _Shit_ he thought to himself. _What are we gonna do now? _

Lightning seemed unconcerned, however. "Ordered by who?" she asked the soldier.

"The council of New Eden," the soldier replied simply. Hope's mind began to whirr. _The council? But dad…_

Hope's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Lightning glance over at him. Their eyes met and she gave him a barely noticeable nod. He sighed to himself. _This is gonna be a long night…_

XXXXX

"Shit," Bartholomew Estheim said to himself as he closed his cell phone. He had lost track of how many times he had repeated the curse that night. He had called Lightning and Hope's cell phones and Lightning's house phone several times with no answer. Likewise, Snow, Serah, and Sazh weren't answering their phones either. Considering the time, he assumed that they were all sleeping by now.

He put his phone down in the empty passenger's seat of his car and rested his forehead on the wheel. After he had gotten away from the other councilmen, he had gotten in his car and drove a few blocks away, parking in the lot of store that had closed a few hours ago. He sat up and ran his hand through his hair with a sigh, trying to think of something he could do. _If they don't know anything, the council won't have an excuse to hold them for long….and if they somehow did become l'Cie again, it will probably take more than a few soldiers to bring them in…_ He was startled out of his contemplations by a sharp tap on the window of his car. He turned his head and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun pointed in his face by a soldier dressed in black camouflage.

"Step out of the vehicle, sir," the soldier demanded, tapping on his window again. He got out of the car slowly, his hands in the air in surrender. An oily voice from the side caught his attention.

"These new phone taps they came up with are quite handy," Rufus said to him, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Shit," Bartholomew said to himself.

XXXXX

As soon as Hope heard Lightning shift her foot beside him, he reached into his mind to his l'Cie magic. As soon as he felt the familiar warmth, he casted two protect spells in quick succession, first on Lightning, then on himself. Lightning had sprung to her left into three soldiers holding assault rifles, her gunblade drawn, and instantly disarmed them with a graceful slash of the weapon. Hope's spell took effect at the same moment, and the bullets from the other nine men were deflected harmlessly.

Hope turned, ignoring the grunts of pain from behind him as Lightning proceeded to incapacitate the men she had just disarmed. He cast a quick thundara spell and blasted two of the men he had counted with mana drives from their feet. He was holding back, trying not to kill the soldiers. _It's not their fault they were sent to do this_ he thought to himself, wincing as her heard a sickening crack that had most likely resulted from the hilt of Lightning's gunblade connected with a soldier's face.

Hope was forced to duck into a sidelong roll as another soldier with a mana drive sent a blizzard spell in his direction. From a crouching position, Hope cast another thundara spell in retaliation that sent the soldier with the mana drive and his two fellows standing next to him twitching to the ground. He rose and saw that Lightning had dropped the last soldier equipped with a mana drive and was closing on another. Out of the corner of his eye, Hope saw the last soldier discard his assault rifle and pull out a metal baton. He clicked a button and it extended, the last few inches crackling with electricity. He formed a ball of wind in his palm and threw the aero spell at the soldier. It struck him hard in the stomach, and he doubled over in pain. He looked over to see Lightning dispatch the final soldier with a boot to the face.

"Well, that was exhilarating," Hope said, panting slightly as he walked over to Lightning, sidestepping the unfortunate soldiers on the ground.

"I didn't think they'd try to bring us in so soon," Lightning remarked, sheathing her gunblade.

"You take any hits?" Hope asked as he drew level with her and began to search her for injuries.

She scoffed at his question. "Definitely not. These guys were pretty green." She crouched over the man nearest her and rifled in his pockets, drawing a small radio. "Come on," she said, stowing the radio in her belt. "We'd better get out of the city as fast as we can, there's bound to be more soldiers hunting for us." She broke into a brisk run, her cloak billowing in the night wind.

"Just like old times," Hope muttered ruefully as he jogged after her.

XXXXX

About an hour later, Lightning and Hope were walking through an alley, the south gate in sight. Using the radio Lightning had pilfered from the wounded soldier, they had managed to avoid any more encounters.

As they stood at the end of the alley, Lightning looking up and down the street to make sure the coast was clear, a thought occurred to Hope.

"Hey Light," he asked her, "how are we gonna get out of the city? I doubt they will open the gate no matter how nicely we ask them…"

"We're not going through the gate," she said as she signaled him that it was clear. "We're taking a military exit, they cut right through the wall, and only soldiers have access codes to them. They usually only open the main gates when they need to move heavy artillery or large squadrons in and out of the city. We might run into more soldiers on the way through, but they probably won't be looking for us."

They continued on for another fifteen minutes, wending through more streets and alleys, until they came upon the outer wall. Looking around, Hope spotted the indentation of a small door about fifty feet to the right of the gate. They ran quickly across the last street towards the door, looking around to make sure they were alone. When they reached the exit, Lightning pressed her hand against the outline of a small square, which slid open to reveal a keypad at her touch. Hope heard several soft beeps as she punched in a code, and the door slid open.

They entered cautiously, Lightning leading the way with her gunblade drawn. They continued moving slowly through the passage for another minute or two, passing several rooms that contained things like cots and refrigerators. When no sign of soldiers in the area was forthcoming, they broke into a faster pace. After another minute, they stopped in front of a door.

"This is the exit," Lightning said, turning around to look at Hope. "But there's an armory right here," she motioned to a door just to the left. "I noticed you didn't have any weapons when we fought the soldiers earlier. If you want one, now's your chance."

"Eh, guns aren't really my thing," Hope said dismissively. "And boomerangs went out of style a while ago…I don't think I really need a weapon. You know I was always more of a spellcaster."

"Okay, just wanted to make sure," Lightning said, and she turned back to the door. She punched a code into another hidden keypad, and the door in front of them slid open. They stepped out, and Hope took a deep breath. Even just outside the wall, he could tell the difference in the air, free of the scent of urbanization as it was. He glanced over at Lightning, and she nodded.

Hope took a step back as her brand flashed red, producing a small crystal. Lightning threw it up lightly and shattered it with a quick swipe of her gunblade, bringing forth a large glyph. Odin stepped through and crashed to the ground, causing Hope to glance up nervously for signs of sentries on the wall above them. As Odin began to shift to gestalt mode, Lightning turned to Hope.

"I hope the others are okay…" she said, voice full of concern. "If the soldiers came after us, it's only a matter of time before they start questioning them."

"I'm sure they'll be okay," Hope replied, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Even if they do, the others don't know where we are going, and they probably have the enough sense to lie about knowing about us being l'Cie. The military won't be able to hold them for long."

She gave him a small smile, and leapt up onto the now gestalt mode Odin. She looked down and held out a hand to Hope, which he took hesitantly. She hoisted him up behind her, and he swung his leg over the other side of the horse. He looked away as he nervously wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt Lightning stiffen slightly, similarly uncomfortable with the contact. It passed after a moment, and Odin broke into a trot.

"We'll put some distance between us and the city and then set up camp for the night," she told him. She looked forward and dug her heel into Odin's side. "Hold on!" she called back to him as the horse broke into a fast gallop, and they rode off into the wilderness of Gran Pulse.

XXXXX

The next morning, Serah sat in her living room watching a news program on the vid screen, trying to catch wind of any further reports concerning the recent attack. She chewed her bottom lip with apprehension as she thought back to the previous day, when Hope and Lightning had come over, sporting new l'Cie brands. She heard someone come down the stairs, and turned to see Sazh walking over to her.

"Where is everybody?" he asked her, taking a seat on the couch.

"Snow took Zack and Dajh over to Lebreau's café for breakfast," she answered distractedly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Serah watching with growing frustration as several unimportant news stories passed by.

"You're worried about your sister and the kid, right?" Sazh asked her, breaking the silence.

Serah sighed. "Of course I am. It's six years ago all over again."

"Don't worry too much," Sazh replied, trying to comfort her. "Those two are tough, they'll be okay."

"I hope you're right," she sad sadly.

Sazh opened his mouth as if to say more, but was interrupted by a sharp knock at the front door. They looked at each curiously, and got up to see who it was.

Serah reached the door first and called, "Who is it?"

"New Eden special forces. We'd like a word with Mrs. Villiers and Mister Katzroy." Serah and Sazh looked at each other in alarm. Sazh shrugged, and Serah opened the door to find three men, two of which had assault rifles leveled at them.

"We've been ordered to bring the two of you in for questioning regarding the incident two days ago. If you come quietly, no one will get hurt," the unarmed man in the middle said calmly. "Please come with us."

XXXXX

"Take it easy hero," Gadot said to his friend, chuckling as Snow shoveled spoonful after spoonful of food into his mouth. "Chew your food a little." Zack was on the stool next to him, sucking intently at a bottle of milk, while Dajh sat on his other side, laughing at Snow's beastly table manners.

Snow mumbled out a response to Gadot's jab, but it was unintelligible through his mouth full of eggs. Gadot and Dajh erupted in renewed laughter as chunks of Snow's breakfast hit the floor.

"Men," Lebreau muttered from behind the counter, rolling her eyes. "Serah won't be too happy when Zack starts picking up your eating habits, you know," she said turning to Snow.

Snow gulped down his food and wiped his mouth. "Ah, he's a growing boy, he needs all the food he can get," Snow replied, laughing.

The cheerful mood was ruined however, when they heard mechanical clicks from behind them. Snow turned around to see five soldiers, two aiming rifles in his face.

"Snow Villiers, you are wanted for questioning regarding the incident two days ago," one of the unarmed soldiers recited.

Snow got off the stool and began strolling over to the soldiers. "Ah, c'mon guys, what's with the guns? Didn't think I'd come quietly?" he asked loudly. Gadot and Lebreau began reaching for concealed weapons, but Snow signaled them from behind his back to stand down.

"Will you come willingly, then?" an armed soldier asked, lowering his gun slightly.

Snow was standing in front of the soldiers now. "Sorry guys," he said sadly. "But heroes don't go without a fight!" He aimed a jaw shattering punch at the soldier who had asked the question and sent him flying across the room. With a quick sidestep, he put himself in line to land a heavy blow to the stomach of the second soldier wielding a rifle. The other three moved quickly, drawing batons that extended into energy rods. Snow caught the wrist of the first soldiers who came at him with the weapon and disarmed the man, but the other two got past his defenses, and sent several jolts of stunning electricity through his body. Snow tried to aim a punch at one of them, but his muscles were cramping from the shocks.

He fell to his knees, panting. Zack had started crying and Dajh was looking terrified. Snow turned his head and looked at Gadot and Lebreau. "Take care….of the kids…" he managed to stammer out before he fell forward and passed out.

XXXXX

As the sun set on their third day out from New Eden, Lightning and Hope arrived on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Archylte Steppe. Lightning stopped Odin, and she and Hope jumped down.

"Let's camp here for the night," she said to him as she dismissed the eidolon. "We'll climb down these tomorrow morning," she said gesturing at the cliffs. "If we don't run into any problems, we should reach the Mah'habara caverns before noon."

"Okay," Hope replied, and they went about setting up their camp. Hope set up a fire while Lightning went to the nearby stream and filled their canteens. When she returned, they sat around the fire in silence, eating the unsatisfying provisions Hope had purchased. The nutrient pellets kept you from starving and were useful as a lightweight food source for traveling, but they couldn't quite match the warm feeling of a home cooked meal.

"I'll take the first watch," Hope said after they had finished eating.

"Alright," Lightning agreed quietly, getting up and walking over to her blankets. Hope turned and looked up at the starry sky as he heard her settle in. He turned back to her a few minutes later to see her curled up, her back to the fire.

Hope got off the log he had been sitting on and lay down on the bare grass, hands behind his head, gazing at the night sky. Their trip so far had been uneventful. During the day they rode Odin, and he was fast enough that none of the wild Pulse creatures could hope to catch them. There also wasn't much time to talk with the wind blowing into their faces while Odin ran, so the miles of terrain they had covered had melted away in silence.

When they stopped to camp, it had been much like the one tonight. They would eat in silence, interrupted by the occasional conversation, but nothing too deep. Since they had left civilization behind, Lightning had apparently been hard at work repairing her walls.

He knew she was still dealing badly with what had happened in Nautilus though. When she was sleeping and he was on watch, she would toss and turn, and sometimes even talk or groan. Hope was sure that she was reliving the traumatizing event in her dreams every night. It was no different tonight. After a while, he could hear her shifting in the grass behind him.

He let out a heavy sigh. He knew she was bottling up again, and he knew it wasn't good for her. He had tried to talk to her a few times the past two nights, but she had deflected all of his attempts to strike up a meaningful conversation. _She's used to dealing with things on her own, and she's way too stubborn to admit when she can't _he thought to himself. She was still trying to shut him out after everything that happened, and he was starting to run out of ideas on how to break through her shell. _But I won't stop trying_ he told himself resolutely. _I'll keep trying to get through to her…and I'll stick by her even if everyone else on this god forsaken world is against us. _

He sighed heavily again. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Hope," he said aloud as the mournful howl of an unknown creature echoed through the night.

XXXXX

Soon after the sun had risen the next morning, Hope and Lightning had packed up their camp, having finished yet another meal in silence. Hope had given up trying to get through to her for the time being, realizing that the best thing to do was to wait for events to continue to unfold around them and hope that something would happen to coax her out of her shell.

"You ready to go?" Lightning asked him, walking to the edge of the cliffs. There weren't any clear paths into the Steppe from where they were, so they would be climbing down the cliffs the hard way.

Hope walked up next to her and gazed down at the craggy wall they would soon be descending. "Ready as I'll ever be," he answered, wishing he had been able to eat a satisfying breakfast before starting the climb. Looking up resentfully at the blazing sun, he began to work his way down the cliff.

XXXXX

They had managed to clear the cliffs without much trouble, and Lightning summoned Odin when they reached the Archylte Steppe. Odin broke into a fast gallop, and they were once again able to avoid the various creatures that made their home on the wide expanse of the Steppe.

As Odin thundered across the plain, Hope looked over and saw the opening in the cliffs that lead to the Vallis Media. It was there that they had spent their first night on the wild Pulse, and it was there that he had come the closest he ever had to giving up on himself. _But she didn't give up on me…she believed in me…._he remembered the moment clearly in his mind, the others trying to help, but it had been Lightning who had saved him… "You're not gonna go through this ordeal alone, you know," she had said to him, a smile on her face. He had been feeling the same back then as she was now, afraid of the others getting hurt because of him. But she had been there for him, she had given him the courage to keep fighting, the strength to defeat Alexander… He tightened his grip on her waist. _Don't worry Light…I won't let you go through this alone either_.

XXXXX

Lightning's prediction turned out to be true. By the time they reached the western end of the Steppe near the entrance to the Mah'habara caverns, the sun hadn't yet reached its zenith in the sky. They dropped off Odin's back, and Lightning dismissed him; they would be traveling on foot from here, as the caverns were far to cramped to need to ride the eidolon.

"Finally we'll be able to get out of this heat," Hope remarked, wiping the sweat off his brow and walking towards the small ledge that sloped down to the entrance of the caverns.

"We'll escape the heat, but we won't be able to escape the monsters in the caverns," Lightning said offhandedly, as she moved to follow him.

"Eh, they weren't too tough, we shouldn't we have too much trouble here as long as we avoid the juggernauts," he responded. They entered the cave and the air immediately became more humid and oppressive. They worked their way through the cavern, alert for signs of trouble.

It quickly became apparent, however, that this time Lightning's prediction was wrong. As the minutes dragged by and they delved deeper into the caverns, they did not encounter any hostile creatures.

"Maybe someone else cleared out all those robots," Hope offered, but Lightning ignored him. He noticed she was glancing around, a tense look on her face. As they entered the open chamber where they had first seen the resident fal'Cie Atomos, Hope figured out why.

Before them lay the smoldering wrecks of what appeared to be juggernauts, though Hope was just guessing from the amount of debris; the machines were so thoroughly destroyed he couldn't be sure what they had once been. A dark look crossed Lightning's face, and Hope knew she had been expecting something like this.

"We aren't alone," she said quietly, drawing her gunblade as she looked around for signs of whoever or whatever had arrived at the caverns before they had.

Hope similarly examined his surroundings, but was unable to discern any clues as to who had destroyed the machines in front of them. After several more moments, he gave up searching. "We might as well move on," he said, turning to Lightning. "It doesn't look like whatever did this is still around, and if we don't run into them, they just made our trip a lot easier."

Lightning nodded, but remained tense, as if expecting to get ambushed the moment she let her guard down. As they continued, Hope noticed that something was missing from the scene.

"Where's that fal'Cie?" he asked, straining his ears for the tell-tale rumbling that would be closely followed by the arrival of Atomos.

"It should still be here," she replied, a pensive look on her face. "There doesn't seem to be many places that thing could have gone. It's probably just further in."

"I hope so," Hope said as they pressed on. "That thing is our ride to the springs."

They went deeper into the caverns, noting the continuing lack of enemies around them. They eventually reached the end of the line as they came upon the area where they had hitched a ride on the fal'Cie all those years ago. Lightning went ahead, walking over the platform overlooking the trench that Atomos had been carving out at the time, and Hope heard her let out a small gasp.

"What the fuck…." She said disbelievingly.

"What's wrong?" Hope asked, jogging over to her. As he reached the edge of the platform, he looked down and figured out exactly what was wrong.

The fal'Cie Atomos was lying at the bottom of the trench below them, unmoving. A huge rent went down the side of it that was facing up to them. Hope saw scattered pieces of its shell littering the trench around it, along with several of the spikes that had once adorned it.

"What the hell could have done this?" Hope asked, his mouth agape at the sight below them.

"I don't know," Lightning replied after a few moments of silence. "But let's not stick around and find out. With this thing dead, we're gonna have to get to Sulyya Springs on foot." They jumped down to the trench below, careful to give the twisted wreckage of the former fal'Cie a wide berth.

What had taken them only about ten minutes to traverse on Atomos took them nearly two hours to cover on foot. When they finally reached their destination, they scaled the side of the trench up to the entrance to the springs. At the top, Hope plopped down on the rock and tried to catch his breath.

"Man, that was rough," he said, getting up after having recovered. Lightning offered a non committal grunt in response. The continued through into the next room, which was filled with a small lake. Though it couldn't be that late yet, it appeared to be dusk as they entered. The sun was barely peaking through the small hole in the rocks that made up the ceiling. Hope knelt down at the edge to take a drink, but Lightning grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him.

"Don't," she said as he looked up at her quizzically. He slowly rose to his feet and gazed out towards the lake in the direction that Lightning was staring. "There was a fal'Cie in this lake last time, and it wasn't too happy to see us," she said, backing away towards the center of the room, drawing her gunblade. Sure enough, ripples began to disturb the surface of the lake where she had been looking.

Hope readied himself as the ripples intensified, edging towards Lightning and reaching for the spot in his mind where the l'Cie magic awaited his call. He lost his concentration, however, as the fal'Cie breached the surface.

Bismarck, like Atomos, was clearly dead. Several gaping holes spotted the head and body of the aquatic fal'Cie. Its mouth hung open limply. As Hope studied the corpse, the water around it began to ripple more fiercely. The dead fal'Cie began to stir along with it, Hope and Lightning staring at it confusedly. All of a sudden, the fal'Cie's body erupted from the water and was hurled across the water towards them.

"Look out!" Lightning cried, and she and Hope both jumped aside. The fal'Cie sent cracks through the rock as it crashed into the spot they had been standing a second before. It skipped across the patch of land and sank into the water on the other side. Hope and Lightning turned their heads to followed its path and were startled by a voice from where it had surfaced.

"You l'Cie are far too slow," a cold female voice said from behind them. They turned and saw a dark haired woman standing on top of the still frothing water where the dead Bismarck had appeared. She was draped in a black cloak over loose fitting dark blue clothes. A trident ending in three wicked prongs was visible over her left shoulder. Hope experienced a sickening sensation as he was reminded forcibly of Fang, whose appearance was similar, but this mysterious woman's pale skin, heavily lidded eyes, and cruel grin told him that this was definitely not the friend who had been lost to him all those years ago.

The woman began to walk slowly across the surface of the lake towards them. The water frothed and churned in her path. "I scrapped all of the pathetic machines that still roamed these caverns hoping that you would get here sooner if the way was clear. I guess I shouldn't have gutted that ridiculous fal'Cie and made you walk the whole way. The other one here couldn't keep me entertained for even a fraction of the time I had to wait for you," she said, not breaking her steady stride across the lake.

"I knew you'd come eventually, though," she continued, her sadistic smirk widening. "I knew those worthless humans wouldn't be able to stop you."

"Who are you?" Lightning called sharply, her gunblade in a fighting stance, already surging angrily with electricity. Hope watched the woman intently, immersed in the magic in his mind ready to cast whatever spell was needed should she attack.

The woman laughed and Hope cringed at the harsh guttural sound. He watched as she lifted up her shirt to reveal a gleaming eye across her stomach. The enormous eye pulsed a dark blue that matched her clothing, and Hope could see the black tendrils reaching out to the rest of her body.

"You're with that other guy then? The one who attacked New Eden?" Hope asked angrily. He shot a quick glance and Lightning. Her expression was unreadable, but he could tell that she was a little unnerved by the sight of the too familiar brand.

"Pfft, don't compare me with that fool. He was a weakling, and he deserved the death you gave him," she spat callously, stopping several feet from the edge of the water. She reached behind her, and took the trident off her back. She dropped into a battle stance, her eyes moving between Hope and Lightning hungrily. "But since you killed him, you might at least be able to keep me entertained longer than these mindless fal'Cie."

As she finished, the water frothing beneath her churned and a large wave erupted. Hope and Lightning were forced to back-step several more paces as the deluge collided with the shore, bring the woman with it. As soon as she touched down, she turned and charged at Lightning, bringing her trident to bear. Hope sent an arc of electricity from his hand at her, but was surprised when a jet of water burst from the lake beside him to intercept his attack.

"What the fuck…" he started but trailed off as the water on either side of the rock path churned violently. Two larger jets of water burst from each side and launched themselves at him. He casted a shell over himself and began to launch another bolt of electricity to assist Lightning, trusting his defensive spell to block the water. He didn't manage to get his spell out before the twin jets struck him. He lost the spell and gasped at the force of the water. After a few seconds, his shell shattered and he was thrown to the ground by the woman's spell. As he lay on his back coughing and sputtering, he could hear the vicious clamor of the woman's trident and Lightning's gunblade banging together as the two women battled furiously.

He rose to his knees, trying to shake off the pain from the water driving him into the hard rock. _The other guy used fire, and this woman obviously attacks with water…she has the same huge brand that he had…where the hell are these guys coming from? _He thought to himself, trying to analyzing the situation. _She obviously knew we were coming, so she must know where we are headed. _He composed himself and moved closer to the dueling women and sent several more bolts of lightning towards the second mysterious l'Cie. This time, no water rose to intercept them, but the women were darting around the patch of rock they were fighting on so quickly, his spells missed. He was afraid to use anything stronger, for fear of hitting Lightning.

He looked around at the cavern they were in. _I can't summon Alexander in here, there's definitely not enough room…the roof looks too unstable to not cave in from his attacks anyway…It's probably the same for Odin, the cavern wouldn't be able to survive most of his attacks, and there's not enough land for him to fight alongside Lightning effectively. _He grew increasingly frustrated as he tried to find a way to help Lightning. After a few moments he quickly formulated a plan, and dropped into a fighting stance as he readied a spell.

XXXXX

A look of concern crossed Lightning's face as she saw Hope get knocked to the ground by the woman's spell, but she had to suppress it as she engaged the mysterious woman. After they traded a few blows, Lightning realized that this woman's fighting style was similar to that of Fang's, who she had sparred with a few times during their travels. Spear users had the advantage of reach and a solid defense, but if she could get past that defense, she knew she could win. With the help of her rigorous years of military training, she was able to shut out all the distractions in the face of her foe, from her worries about Hope to the strange woman's many similarities to Fang. Even the reappearance of the large l'Cie brand on the woman's stomach was just another small detail to the stoic soldier. In battle, Lightning was confident she could keep her cool.

They traded blows furiously, Lightning's electrified gunblade sparking angrily against the woman's trident. Every time she was forced to parry an attack, Lightning grimaced at the weight behind the blow; the woman possessed immense physical strength. Lightning flinched slightly as a spell thundered into the rock next to her, and her opponent took advantage. Lightning was barely able to parry the woman's heavy attack, and her arm nearly went numb from its force. _At least I know Hope is alright_ she said to herself as she quickly recovered. _But he's not gonna be able to help much when we're fighting like this, and this bitch isn't about to let me back off long enough for him to try._

She continued trading blows with the woman, trying in vain to find an opening. _She might be better than Fang _Lightning admitted to herself. She felt a slight tingling, and out of the corner of her eye noticed Hope readying a spell. Not having the luxury to ask him what he was about to do, she trusted her younger companion and continued her fight. This time when his spells hit the rock around her, she didn't flinch. She saw that he had casted several blizzard spells in quick succession, and that they had hit the ground around her and her vicious opponent.

"Looks like your boyfriend needs to improve his aim," the woman sneered at Lightning over the continued din of their weapons. Wrapped up in taunting her opponent, the woman didn't notice the patches of ice that Hope's spells had created on the rock beneath them. Lightning put more energy into her weapon and went on the offensive, pressuring her opponent and moving her towards one of the patches. The woman sneered at her again, apparently unimpressed by Lightning's ferocity, but her grin quickly faded when her foot found one of the slippery patches and she lost her balance.

Lightning took the opening and executed a heavy horizontal slash as the woman lost her footing. The l'Cie was able to avoid Lightning's attack however, when she jammed the butt of her trident into the ground and used it to push herself into a backwards leap away from the slash. Lightning likewise leapt backwards, and the two women glared at each other over the frozen battleground.

"Nice try, but shit that like isn't…" but the overconfident woman was cut short when several large lightning bolts hit her in the back. She screamed as Hope's thundaga spell sent arcs of painful electricity surging through her body. As the spell dissipated, the woman fell sideways into the lake, with her clothes smoking slightly and her body jerking spastically from the aftershocks of the attack.

Lightning ran over to Hope, who offered her a grin. "Are you okay?" she asked him, examining him for injuries.

"I'm fine, she didn't get me too bad. What about you?" he responded, likewise examining her.

"I'm okay too, I managed to hold her off, but she was strong. I don't think I would have been able to keep it up for much longer. That was some quick thinking, Hope," she said, offering him an appreciative smile.

He was about to respond when the lake once again began to churn violently. Hope and Lightning snapped back into battle stances as the woman rose from the depths on a cyclone of raging water, three similar swells rising around her.

"Don't pat yourselves on the back yet," she said with a gurgling echo. Her eyes flared up with a dark blue glow, matching that of the brand on her stomach. Hope sent another volley of blizzard spells over the water at her, aiming for the swell she was standing on. With a flick of her wrist, however, several jets of water rose from the lake and intercepted the spells before they reached their target. No taunting jeers followed this attack; it seemed the woman was ready to get serious.

She pointed her trident at them, and two of the surging cyclones of water rushed towards Hope and Lightning. They jumped apart, and the swells split to follow them.

Hope waited for the swell targeting him to get closer, a spell ready to be released. When it was about to hit him, he unleashed a fierce blizzaga spell, freezing the attack. For a moment, the frozen cyclone looked like a huge sea serpent rising from the water, but it quickly shattered.

Lightning had a similar idea on the other side of the room. She brought her gunblade up in front of her, pouring her energy into the blade in the form of ice instead of the electricity that she preferred. As the cycle arced towards her, she leapt into it, her frost powered gunblade hitting the swell first. As soon as it touched, the swell began to freeze. Lightning landing lightly on the frozen area near her gunblade, and slid down the length of the swell as her gunblade froze a path in front of her. After it ended, she landed gracefully on the rocks beneath her.

Hope and Lightning regrouped in the middle of the cavern, and looked over at their adversary. The woman was enshrouded in an aura of power, the final swell that she was standing on pulsing violently.

"Light, I'll distract her with a spell when she gets close. When you see an opening take it," Hope whispered to her, forming the simple yet solid plan on the fly. She nodded at him and charged her gunblade. As Hope looked back over to the woman, he got a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was wrong. The moment he realized it, he felt the familiar tingle that resulted from powerful magic on the back of his neck. Without thinking, he shoved Lightning as hard as he could away from him and broke into a sidelong roll just as the third swell that the woman had conjured reemerged from the water behind them and crashed heavily into the rock.

Thanks to Hope's quick thinking, they were able to avoid being crushed by the swell, but they were still too close to the impact. This swell had apparently been imparted with more power than the previous two, and the impact on the rock sent the two of them rolling in opposite directions. Lightning recovered quickly, but Hope only managed to pull himself up on one knee.

As the powerful swell had hit the rock, the woman had begun speeding towards them on the last swell. Apparently deciding to take Hope out first, she angled towards him. As she got closer, Hope's felt the vibrations of the woman's magic. Ignored the prickling in his skin and the uncomfortable tingle that had his teeth chattering, he readied a spell.

When the woman was a few feet from him, Hope released his spell. The woman was startled when instead of the expected blast of ice, a powerful burst of fire erupted from Hope's hand and towards the swell she was riding. When the two spells met, steam erupted from the point of impact and quickly filled the area.

"Light!" Hope called, signaling her to attack. A second later, the powerful swell, infused with far too much of the l'Cie's power to be stopped by Hope's spell, crashed into him. Several moments passed, but Lightning's attack did not come.

XXXXX

Lightning had always prided herself on being able to focus her thoughts and ignore her anxieties during battle. The current fight was no exception. Thus far, she had been able to resist several things that would have distracted her and resulted in a quick death at the hands of the skilled warrior she was facing. But her recent brush with death had left her shaken, more shaken that she could admit to anyone, least of all herself. So when the blast of flame that was Hope's firaga spell had flashed before her eyes, she was hurtled back to relive that traumatizing event once more. She fell to her knees clutching her ears, trying to shut out the screams of agony from the dying soldiers and the terrible laughter from the l'Cie who was slaughtering them.

These terrible memories immobilized her, and for the first time in her life, she was unable to shut out her pain in the face of battle.

_Snap out of it! _She shouted at herself. _You're better than this, you have to snap out of it! Hope needs you, are you just gonna sit here like this and watch him die? Move!_

At the mention of Hope, thoughts of him began to fill her mind, replacing the ones that had been tormenting her. She remembered him as an awkward teen, struggling to deal with the cruel hand fate had dealt him. She remembered guiding him, as he slowly became stronger, became the one that kept them on the right course. And now he was an adult, and he was stronger than she could ever be.

She reached around and found the hilt of her gunblade. Warring against her unmoving body, she struggled to get to her feet.

XXXXX

"I'm surprised you're still alive, boy," the woman sneered down at Hope, slowly closing in on him.

Hope was flat on his back, barely breathing. The l'Cie's last attack had left him unconscious, and at her mercy. She stood over him and raised her trident, ready to strike.

"Don't worry, I'll be sending you're girlfriend along soon," she said. Before she could finish him, however, she felt her body jerk violently. Confused, she looked down, and was shocked to find Lightning's gunblade protruding from her chest. She dropped her trident, and grabbed at the blade, struggling against it in vain. She turned around to face Lightning, but Lightning had already moved past her to the prone form of Hope. The l'Cie managed to take two steps forward and fell to the ground.

Lightning crouched over Hope, frantically checking to see if he was still alive. When she felt a faint pulse, she tried to cast a healing spell on him, but she was interrupted by a burst of magic from behind her. She turned to see a blast of dark blue energy burst from the body of the l'Cie she had killed, tearing a hole in the ceiling of the cavern. She threw herself over Hope, shielding him from the rocks that came tumbling down as a result of the blast, but none of them were big enough to cause any damage.

Lightning reached into her mind desperately to cast a healing spell. She managed to cast it, and shakily held her hand over Hope, cursing her ineptitude at the magic as the moments dragged by.

_It's my fault_ she told herself. _He's gonna die because I can't pull myself together long enough to heal him….because I lost control of myself in the middle of the fight…_ she felt tears welling up and tried to fight them and maintain control of her spell. When she lost it and the spell failed, she punched the ground in frustration.

"Fuck!" she cried angrily, reaching for another spell. Before she could manage it, however, Hope let out a low groan. Startled out of her concentration, she looked down at him to see his eyes flutter open.

"Light…" he said groggily as he pushed himself upright. "Are you okay?"

Lightning let out a chocked sob and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Arghhh," Hope hissed in pain. She quickly let go of him and helped him to his feet. "I think my arm is dislocated," he told her. "Here," he put his arm on her shoulder and she obligingly braced him. He gritted his teeth and yanked, popping the bone back into place, unable to stifle a groan as fresh waves of pain rolled through him. As they subsided, he reached for his own healing spell and channeled it to heal both himself and Lightning at the same time. As he finished, he looked up at her, but she had already turned away.

She walked over to the dead l'Cie, who had apparently turned to crystal when whatever power she had abandoned her at her death. When Lightning tugged her weapon free however, she crumbled into dust on the rock. Lightning sheathed her blade and continued walking towards the exit.

Hope caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him. "Light, it's not your fault," he said to her, with a pretty good idea what was on her mind. "You got hurt by that last attack, that's all. It's over now, and we're both alive…" he trailed off as she turned away again.

"I didn't get hurt…I froze up. You're fire attack….I…I heard them again. I can't get them out of my head…I hear them in my dreams every night and now you almost get killed because I'm too weak to deal with it…" she turned to look at him. "I'm pathetic…" she looked down ashamedly.

Hope put his arms on her shoulders and she looked up at him. He was surprised to see a tear rolling down her cheek. "Light, listen to me. You're the strongest person I know, but…no matter how strong you are, you need to let people help you. You can't deal with everything on your own…" he trailed off as she laughed darkly.

"Strong? Yeah, right..." she let out a heavy sigh. "I wasn't there for Serah when she needed me the most…then I dragged you along with me on some stupid mission so that I could hide from my problems….I tried to save Cocoon, but we end up living on this hellhole fighting for survival, while Fang and Vanille are trapped in crystal stasis….and because I was too weak, you get dragged away from you're life and forced to come with me and deal with this l'Cie shit again…."

"Light…you have to stop blaming yourself for everything," Hope said to her softly. "No matter how much you try to, you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders by yourself. If you bottle that stuff up it will destroy you."

Tears began to slide down Lightning's face and Hope wrapped her in a tight embrace. "You don't have to do this alone, Light. I'm here for you…I'll always be here." He held her as she broke down, her walls of stoicism crumbling in his embrace. They stood there for several minutes, Hope staying silent and letting her vent her emotions at last.

She eventually broke the embrace and dried her eyes, trying to compose herself. "Feel better?" Hope asked her. She smiled and let out a small chuckle.

"Hope I…." she began, but Hope interrupted her.

"You don't have to say it, Light. We're in this thing together…you don't have to be afraid to share your burdens with me….and you'll never have to thank me." He gestured towards the exit. "Come on, let's get out here…I've had enough of this place for a few lifetimes I think."

XXXXX

The rest of their journey to Taejin's Tower was uneventful. By the time they made it out of the springs, night had fallen. Rather than camp again, they decided to press on to their destination.

As they came upon the broken spire, they both stopped to gaze up at the place they had been mysteriously called to. "I hope this is worth it," Lightning said to him as she started walking again. The reached the foot of the tower several minutes later, pushed open the ancient portal, and entered.

They took in their surroundings; the place hadn't changed much in six years. They saw the horned statue and nodded to each other, approaching the lone guardian of the tower.

They stood in front of the statue, but it said nothing. Lightning decided to speak up first. "We're here…why did you call us? Do you know anything about what the hell is going on? About our brands or these freaks that have been attacking us…or anything?" She felt foolish talking to the statue, but could feel power begin to emanate from it at the sound of her voice.

_All shall be revealed_ the statue said. Its voice came from inside their heads. From somewhere above them, they heard the soft jingling music and a low rumble as the elevator descended from the top of the tower. When it reached the ground floor, the statue raised its arm and pointed to it. Lightning and Hope looked at each other, shrugged, and climbed in.

The elevator climbed the tower, the soft melody playing once again. At the apex, the elevator stopped. They climbed out and looked around. The place was deserted. After a few moments, another soft rumbling reached their ears, and they watched as a second elevator rolled up through the broken section of the tower and the door opened.

"Where do you think it's gonna take us?" Hope asked as they walked over to it.

"One way to find out," Lightning replied. They climbed into the second elevator, and it immediately began to descend through the collapsed tower, just as it had six years ago when they were traveling to Oerba. When it reached the bottom, they heard the tower hit the sand, and it began to move forward for several more minutes.

Hope and Lightning sat in silence, wondering where their arduous journey would take them, and more importantly, they wondered who would be there to greet them.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped. They stood up to get out, but almost fell over as the elevator began to spin rapidly in place.

"Woah," Hope said, grabbing onto the wall of the vessel as he stumbled. The whirring elevator reached a crescendo, and began to rumble on.

"I think we're going…down," Lightning said, a curious look on her face. They braced themselves as the elevator burrowed down through the desert, trying not to think of the thousands of pounds of sand that were fast accumulating above their heads.

After about ten minutes, the elevator began to slow. It soon came to a complete stop, and the door opened. Lightning and Hope looked at each other, tensing up. They stepped out of the elevator, Lightning drawing her gunblade and Hope readying a spell.

They examined their surroundings. They seemed to have stopped at some sort of subterranean complex. They stood in a dimly lit room that opened up into a wide tunnel. They cautiously approached the tunnel, when they heard footsteps approaching them from out of the darkness.

As the silhouette of a familiar figure came into view, walking slowly towards them, Lightning did a double take and blinked a few times. After a moment or two, her mind realized what it was seeing.

"Odin…?" she said softly, as the figure walked into the light. It was unmistakably her eidolon.

"Good, you've arrived," the eidolon said in a smooth voice. "Allow me to welcome you to the Fourth Ark."

XXXXX

Rufus stood in front of the window of his office looking down at the city below him, lost in thought. A knock at the door behind him startled him from his reverie.

"Enter," he said.

"Sir, the transport is here to take you to the detention blocks. The four prisoners have resisted our interrogations so far, but we think they'll break soon."

"Good," Rufus said, lifting up the sleeve on his left arm and gazing down at the spiky black brand, whose red eye gazed back up at him blankly. "Very good."

XXXXX

**Well that sure took a while to write. Sorry if it's a bit lengthy, but I wanted to get to a certain spot by the end of the chapter, so it ended up coming out pretty long. Next chapter should probably be shorter, but it should be a good one.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lightning and Hope stared blankly at Odin, clearly at a loss for words over the bizarre development. After a few moments, Lightning managed to find her voice.

"Odin…? What the fuck is going on?" she asked, bewildered. Hope remained silent, looking between Lightning and the eidolon and trying to assess the situation. Odin took a step forward, causing them both to tense, Lightning raising her gunblade menacingly.

"Relax," he said to them. "I know this is a lot to handle on top of everything you've been through in the past few days, but please, bare with me for a little longer. You obviously have questions, and I will answer them, but for now you need to trust me."

"Trust you? This is ridiculous; you think that just by showing up looking like Odin we'll let our guard down for you to slit our throats?" Lightning asked, not lowering her weapon.

"I understand you're reluctance, but I assure you that I am Odin. I'm still you're eidolon, and we share a connection because of that," he told her firmly. "Look inside yourself, and you'll know that I'm telling the truth."

Lightning stared at him for several moments, and eventually lowered her weapon. Hope relaxed beside her.

Odin offered a small nod to Lightning and turned, gesturing them to follow him. "We have much to discuss." The eidolon proceeded through the tunnel, Lightning and Hope following behind him.

"You're sure this guy is the real thing, right?" Hope whispered to Lightning. Not having felt whatever Lightning had to make her trust the eidolon, Hope was still on edge. "I mean, this is a little too weird. He just comes out of nowhere without being summoned and starts talking to us… it doesn't make any sense."

Before Lightning could answer, Odin interjected, apparently having heard Hope's whispered reservations. "Have you never wondered where we go when we're not fighting beside you?" Odin said with a tone of amusement in his voice.

"I guess not," Hope answered, looking confused.

"So," Lightning spoke up, trying to ease Hope's worries. "This is another ark? Does that mean we're here to get stronger?"

"Among other things," Odin responded. "The legends regarding much of what exists on Gran Pulse have become quite….convoluted over the centuries. Arks are much, much more than training ground for l'Cie. This ark," he continued, gesturing at his surroundings, "is one of the last of its kind that still retains any of its functions."

They continued walking and eventually exited the tunnel into a spacious, well lit room. Hope and Lightning looked around in awe. Compared to the derelict ark they had explored six years ago, this one seemed all the more impressive. Its condition was pristine and the place was free of the slavering monstrosities that had inhabited the fifth ark. Most of all, however, was the power about the place. The walls hummed with magic, and Hope and Lightning could feel it. They were in a living relic from Pulse's past.

Odin led them through a smaller door off of the room they were in. They walked through several corridors and eventually came out into what appeared to be a hall of relics. Murals lined the walls on either side of the room, which stretched on almost as long as the tunnel they had crossed when they had first arrived. Pedestals sat in front of the murals, some of them holding plaques inscribed with what was probably the written language of Pulse while others held various artifacts, from ancient armor and weapons to mysterious objects emanating magic.

"One of the functions of the arks is to preserve the true history of Gran Pulse. This is one of the last undisturbed reliquaries in existence. The murals you see depict some of the most important events that shaped Pulse, and the artifacts are pieces of that history," Odin explained to them as he led them over to the first mural.

"Wait," Lightning said, and Odin turned to her. "You said you can answer all of our questions…so you must know something about our focus. Our cie'th timer is ticking…I'm sorry but we don't really have time for a history lesson."

"You don't have to worry about that," the eidolon assured her. "Your brands are frozen; you won't become cie'th."

Lightning touched the spot on her chest where her brand lay. "If we don't have a focus, then why did our brands come back? You're the reason we have them, aren't you?" she demanded.

"Yes," Odin replied. "We are responsible for returning your brands. You are the only ones who can stop the being responsible for the events six years ago."

Lightning and Hope looked at each other in alarm. "But we already defeated Orphan and Barthandelus," Hope said.

"Orphan and Barthandelus," Odin responded grimly, "were just pawns. As were you. The true orchestrator of the fall of Cocoon and the one who threatens you now, is Anima."

"Anima…" Hope said to himself. "Isn't that the…"

"Yes," the eidolon repeated. "Anima is the fal'Cie who first branded you…or so you thought."

"I don't understand," Lightning said. "What are you talking about? What does Anima have to do with this?"

"That," said a deep, rumbling voice "is a complicated tale. One best started at the beginning." Hope's eyes widened. He knew who the speaker was even before he turned to see the hulking figure walking towards them from the far end of the room.

"Alexander…" Hope murmured as the second eidolon approached them.

"That is why we brought you here first," Alexander continued, looming over the rest of them. As he spoke, Hope and Lightning could feel the vibrations from his heavy bass voice. "To understand Anima, you must first learn the history of Gran Pulse."

Hope looked interested in what they had to say, but Lightning was skeptical. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded of the eidolons. "You fight beside us those years ago without mentioning any of this, and now you tell us we were being used. Then you give us our powers back when the shit hits the fan again and expect us to let you lead us around like dogs to clean up the mess?"

"Light…" Hope started, trying to calm her down.

Odin let out a sigh. "I suppose you have a point. Alexander and I, and the rest of the eidolons that your friends commanded, are the last of the Menhirrim, the guardians of Gran Pulse. We helped you because you are the only ones who have a chance of defeating Anima, and we returned your power so that you could finish this once and for all."

"It can't hurt to hear them out," Hope said to her.

"Fine," Lightning relented. "Let's hear it."

Odin nodded and gestured at the first mural next to them. It depicted a desolate and broken landscape underneath a barren sky. "Countless millennia ago," he began, "Gran Pulse was a world of unimaginable horrors, far worse than it is now. The few humans who existed at the time had to struggle every day for survival in an unforgiving environment. Worst of all, the land was plagued by immensely powerful beings known as Espers. The Espers were manifestations of the chaotic forces of nature, and they roamed the planet slaughtering people in droves."

"So all in all, not a nice to place to live," Lightning muttered, drawing a small chuckle from Hope, which he quickly tried to cover with a fake cough.

"Until Ultima arrived," Alexander rumbled at her. "I believe you know him as the Maker. Ultima's origins are a mystery, as is why he came to Gran Pulse. It is clear, however, that he was a fal'Cie of incredible power."

"The Maker was a fal'Cie?" Hope asked in disbelief.

"Indeed," Odin said, as he moved to the next mural. This one showed a glowing white orb descending from the sky. Several small people were shown looking up at the orb in awe and reverence. "Ultima apparently felt sorry for the beleaguered natives of Pulse and decided to use his power to cultivate the world into a livable place. While he set about to reshape the harsh world, he tasked the leader of the humans with domesticating the wild Espers. Ultima granted the man his power, making him a l'Cie. This man was called Anima." The next mural showed a man with a small spiky l'Cie brand on his chest, similar to the ones Hope and Lightning wore.

"Anima was…a l'Cie?" Lightning asked, now interested in the history lesson.

"The first," Odin replied. "Anima set about his task, and with his new power, eventually succeeded. The tamed Espers became the Pulse fal'Cie you are familiar with. As Ultima used his power to reforge the world, the Espers became its caretakers." They moved to another mural, showing a vastly different Pulse, full of green. Several large creatures were depicted in it, and Lightning thought she recognized the now dead Atomos among them.

"With his focus complete," Alexander continued as they looked to the next mural, where Anima was shown encased in crystal. "Anima entered crystal stasis. Shortly after this, Ultima created the Menhirrim to act as the protectors of Gran Pulse. To this end, they constructed the arks for use in times of war." The next three murals detailed what Alexander had told them. "Under Ultima and the Menhirrim, Gran Pulse became a paradise, and all forms of life flourished."

"From time to time over the next few millennia, Ultima would wake Anima from crystal slumber in times of need, often to lead the Menhirrim against enemies of Pulse," Odin told them. "However, Anima was beginning to resent the use to which he was being put. He grew tired of only being awakened to fight, and tired of being rewarded for his service with continued imprisonment in crystal stasis. Anima came to believe that Ultima had stolen Gran Pulse from the people, that he saw them only as playthings to do with what he wished."

Hope and Lightning glanced at each other, and they knew they were both thinking the same thing. They had come to the same conclusion on Cocoon. They had chosen to rebel against their fal'Cie keepers, to take back their fates.

Alexander began to speak, his deep voice regaining their attention. "Ultima did not realize the nearly limitless potential of l'Cie. Eventually, Anima became powerful enough to break free of his crystal stasis by himself. Unbeknownst to Ultima, he began to reach out to the Espers that he himself had tamed. Offering them the freedom they once had, the Espers joined Anima. With them on his side, Anima began his war to challenge Ultima." The murals on the wall took on a darker tone. They saw Espers fighting the Menhirrim, often accompanied by the same man who was becoming the focus of the paintings.

"The Menhirrim fought against Anima and his minions in a conflict that lasted centuries. Ultima did not take part directly in the fighting, putting his faith in his servants to quell the uprising." Alexander let out what was unmistakably a heavy sigh. "But Anima was not Ultima's greatest champion for nothing. We could not break the stalemate. The constant struggles began to affect Pulse, causing extreme damage to the world and its inhabitants."

Alexander turned forlornly to the murals on the wall, which had become much more violent, depicting colossal battles between the Menhirrim and the Espers. Odin put a hand on Alexander's shoulder, or at least the highest part on the towering eidolon's arm that he could reach. As Alexander was lost in bad memories, Odin continued the story.

"Amidst the fighting, Anima learned that he could absorb the power of his Esper minions. This proved to be the turning point of the war. Anima sacrificed many of his servants, and his own already formidable power increased exponentially. With his newfound strength, Anima decimated the Menhirrim. He hunted us down, destroying or disabling nearly all of our arks. With his servants at the brink of extinction, Ultima finally joined the war."

"By the time Ultima and Anima met in battle, Anima had killed and stolen the power of enough Espers that his strength was a match for Ultima's. A terrible battle was waged, one that did more damage to Gran Pulse than all of the centuries of fighting that had preceded it. Although Anima's power was great, Ultima eventually succeeded in defeating him, stripping him of his power and imprisoning him within the vestige that you eventually found him in." The next several murals were dedicated to the fight, the last showing the familiar form of the Pulse vestige that had been the source of the whole ordeal six years ago.

"The victory came at a great cost, however," Alexander said, rejoining the conversation. "Ultima was forced to use too much of his power to defeat Anima. After the battle was over, Ultima was lost, and his power shattered. Ultima's essence was split into twelve forms, or aspects, each of which became a fal'Cie. Ultima's body, now an empty shell, eventually became Cocoon, the moon in the sky over Gran Pulse."

Lightning and Hope were stunned by the information. Seeing their expressions, Odin gave them a small smile. "I know this is all a bit much to take in, but it is the truth," he told them.

"With Ultima gone, the few remaining Menhirrim took it upon themselves to make sure that Anima remained imprisoned. The statues that aided you on your first journey through Taejin's Tower are those who sacrificed their forms in order to pour their strength into the task," Odin explained. "We, along with the others who acted as your companions' eidolons, are the last of the Menhirrim who retain their true forms."

"As for the fal'Cie who were born from Ultima's power…they had no memory or knowledge of their origin," Alexander said. "Eventually, they were all drawn to Cocoon, for reasons they did not understand. There, they began to cultivate a Utopian society, a shadow of what Ultima had achieved on Gran Pulse. Without Ultima's guidance, Gran Pulse itself began to devolve back to its savage origins. The remaining Espers similarly degenerated into the mindless beasts that are Pulse fal'Cie today."

"Anima, however," Odin continued, "Did not lose his mind. He sought a way to escape from the prison that Ultima had sealed him in, and finding a way to do so became his sole ambition. The only sure way he knew of to free himself was to reunite the twelve aspects of Ultima and use that power to free himself. If he could accomplish that, he would be able to regain his own strength on top of Ultima's and shape Gran Pulse to his will. He also knew that he would not be able to reunite the aspects while Cocoon, Ultima's former shell, still remained intact. Either way, for him to move forward, he would have to go to Cocoon."

"At this time, Cocoon was thriving. Ultima's aspects turned the place into a paradise for the humans that lived there. They were the fal'Cie who provided everything the colony could need. Eden, the aspect of life; Orphan the aspect of death; Carbuncle, the aspect of creation; Barthandelus, the aspect of destruction; Phoenix, the aspect of fire; Leviathan, the aspect of water; Typhoon, the aspect of wind; Hashmal, the aspect of earth; Kujata, the aspect of lightning; Mateus, the aspect of ice; Madeen, the aspect of light; and Zalera, the aspect of darkness. Each of these fal'Cie represented a portion of the power that Ultima had once used to remake and govern Gran Pulse, and they used that power to provide for Cocoon."

"Like on Gran Pulse, the balance between the forces that the fal'Cie represented was what allowed Cocoon to thrive. The fal'Cie representing the primal forces of nature existed independently, but the others existed in symbiosis with one another to maintain that balance. Life and death, creation and destruction, and light and darkness. If any of these aspects were to become too powerful and upset the bond between themselves and their counterpart, it would do a great deal of harm to Cocoon. It was in this that Anima saw his opportunity."

"As he did with crystal stasis," Alexander rumbled, "Anima found a way to escape his confinement, if only slightly. We believe because he was Ultima's l'Cie, and therefore shared a connection with Ultima and his remnants, he was able to reach out and communicate with the…darker aspects, specifically Zalera. It seems that Anima revealed the truth of Zalera's origins to him, and somehow convinced the aspect to aid him in his schemes. He was able to give Zalera some of the power he had left, which allowed Zalera to break free of his bond with Madeen, the aspect of light, and subdue her. Free to do what he wished, Zalera helped Anima to orchestrate the War of Transgression. Anima and Zalera reached out to the other aspects that would most likely assist them, Orphan and Barthandelus. They assisted them in breaking free of their bond to their opposing aspects, but the two apparently did not trust them with the truth of their plans. Orphan and Barthandelus became pawns of Anima and Zalera."

"Under Anima's instructions," Odin said, "Zalera branded two Pulsians as l'Cie, tasking them to attack Cocoon. The two chosen were, as you know, your friends Fang and Vanille. The two succeeded as far as Anima planned them to. In the chaos caused by their attack, Zalera and Barthandelus were able to break the Menhirrim's hold over Anima and bring him to Cocoon. Anima was freed of his jailors, but was still entrapped by Ultima's power. The only thing he could do after that was wait."

"Wait?" Hope asked. "Wait for what?"

"For us," Lightning answered. "He had to wait for people he thought would be strong enough to destroy Orphan."

"That's correct," Odin said. "The aspects of Ultima could not destroy each other, and Anima, with his power sealed by his imprisonment, did not have the strength to do so. Their only option was to use l'Cie to do it. Over the five hundred years that passed after the War of Transgression, Cocoon began to decay just as Gran Pulse had. With the balance between the aspects destroyed, Cocoon had become unstable. Anima knew that if Orphan was killed, Eden would no longer be able to support the colony. Ultima's shell would be destroyed and the aspects would be liberated from their fal'Cie forms, leaving him able to complete his plan."

"But Cocoon wasn't destroyed, it was just crystallized," Lightning said.

"We interfered," Alexander told them. The Menhirrim who had once guarded Anima sacrificed themselves, and when the time was right, we used their power to allow Fang and Vanille to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon. The aspects however, were freed of their fal'Cie forms."

"But with Cocoon still around, Anima can't free himself," Hope reasoned.

"Which brings us to the current situation," Lightning finished.

"Indeed," Odin replied.

"So…how did you restore our l'Cie powers? And why now, after six years?" Lightning asked.

The two eidolons began to walk away, gesturing Lightning and Hope to follow. "Come with us," Odin said, "And we will tell you."

XXXXX

Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Bartholomew sat in their cell, their expressions showing a wide variety of emotions. Serah was looking miserable, sitting on a cot next to her husband, who held her in a firm embrace. While he tried to comfort her, Snow stared up at the ceiling, a look of anger and frustration on his face. Sazh sat on the floor, his back up against the wall and his arms resting on his knees. His eyes were closed, his face locked in a pensive mask. Bartholomew sat on a cot on the opposite side of the room, his face in his hands, agonizing over his son's fate.

"Hope…" Bartholomew said aloud.

Snow looked over at his cellmate, wiping the anger off of his face to try and comfort the man. "I told ya, already, those two are tough. They can take care of themselves."

"I know…" Bartholomew said, raising his head and gripping his knees angrily. "But we don't know anything about what's going on, we don't know anything about what kind of danger they are facing…we don't even know if they are still alive…" he trailed off.

"They're still alive, I'm sure of it," Snow said firmly.

"How can you know that?" Bartholomew asked dejectedly.

"Relax, Bartholomew," came a voice as their cell door opened. The four of them looked up to see Rufus enter the room. "The buffoon is quite right. Your son and his companion are still alive."

The four of them let out sighs of relief at this news, even Snow, despite his previous confidence that he knew they were okay.

"Where are they?" Serah asked.

"I'm afraid we don't know," Rufus said to her.

"So you're here to try and make us to tell you, right?" Snow said angrily, cracking his knuckles. "We wouldn't tell you even if we knew."

Rufus chuckled. "I'm well aware that you don't know where they are, Mr. Villiers."

"Then why are you keeping us here?" Serah asked.

"We're leverage," Sazh said, getting up. "When Lightning and Hope show up again, you threaten to kill us to make them cooperate. Am I right?"

"I'm glad you understand the situation," Rufus said, offering him a nod. He turned to leave, but Bartholomew stopped him.

"Why the hell are you doing all of this? What could you hope to gain?" he asked him.

"I am doing what is best for the people of this city," Rufus said, turning back to them. "If the death of those l'Cie makes them safer, I'll gladly kill them myself."

At this, Snow was unable to restrain himself. He lunged at Rufus, fist raised ready to shatter the man's skull. He was surprised however, when he was blasted off his feet with a flash of light. Snow managed to pull himself up, and they all looked at Rufus in shock, a l'Cie brand pulsing angrily on his arm.

"What the hell?" Snow exclaimed, getting to his feet.

"Fools," Rufus said as he pulled his sleeve back down to cover up the mark. "You have no idea what kind of forces are at work in all this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend to." He left the room, the cell door closing behind him, while the four friends were left to contemplate what had just happened.

XXXXX

"You're late, Rufus!" Heidegar complained loudly as Rufus entered the council chambers. "You call this meeting out of nowhere and then show up half an hour late…this better be good."

"Did you get anything out of those prisoners?" another man asked him, causing the rest of the council to look at Rufus expectantly.

"Not yet," Rufus replied calmly, taking his seat. "I called this meeting at the request of a former acquaintance of mine." He gestured towards a door on the other side of the room.

The door opened, revealing a tall figure draped in a long cloak. As the gathered council realized who the newcomer was, their eyes widened in shock and their mouths were hanging open as they struggled to find their voices. Even Heidegar was at a loss for words.

"I believe you are all familiar with the former Primarch, Cid Raines."

XXXXX

Odin and Alexander led Hope and Lightning through another series of corridors off of the hall of reliquaries. They walked in silence for nearly an hour before the two eidolons stopped in front of a large door. Alexander pushed it open and they entered.

The room was sizable, but smaller than the ones they had visited so far. As they walked in, Lightning looked around, searching for something that would indicate why they were here. Distracted by her search, she bumped into Hope, who had stopped suddenly in front of her.

"Light….it's," Hope stammered, staring across the room. Curious, Lightning looked past him, and she froze. On the far side of the room, encased in a block of crystal, were the forms of Fang and Vanille.

"Fang…Vanille…" Lightning whispered. She turned to Odin, who had walked up to her crystallized companions. "What is this? Why are they here?"

"We recovered them from the crystal spire of Cocoon shortly after it fell. We recovered them so that we could use these." Odin gestured towards a small alter in front of the crystal block that neither Hope nor Lightning had noticed. Sitting on top of it, Lightning saw, were two orbs the size of her first. One was glowing a soft, pale green, the other a light purple.

"What are they?" Lightning asked.

"These orbs contain the essences of two aspects of Ultima. Eden, the aspect of life," he gestured at the green one, "and Kujata, the aspect of lightning," he indicated the purple one. "We used them to return your powers to you."

"How?" Hope asked, looking from the orbs to the crystal forms of their long lost friends.

"The reason we needed Fang and Vanille was because they shared a connection to you," Alexander told them. "You were branded by the same fal'Cie, Zalera, and shared a focus. Such things forge powerful bonds. Anima does not know of our existence. That is the reason that we did not tell you any of this six years ago. Anima and his minions were keeping a close eye on you; if they had learned that any Menhirrim still existed, let alone were so close to the l'Cie that their plans depended on, all would have been lost. Once Anima reached Cocoon, there was nothing we could do to stop him. Our only option…was to let his plans proceed and wait for our window of opportunity."

"…what does any of that have to do with why you needed Fang and Vanille?" Lightning asked. She was startled by the sudden emotion that had crept into the eidolon's deep voice…it sounded like…regret.

"Branding someone as a l'Cie creates powerful ripples of magic, ripples that Anima would easily be able detect," Odin explained. "If we had left the ark with the essences of Eden and Kujata to brand you in person, he would have sensed the surge of power from the two aspects and sent his minions immediately. Even with the ten of the twelve aspects that he controls, he cannot free himself. The only other way to return your powers short of that was through Fang and Vanille and the bond that you share with them. Even with this method, the return of your brands did not go unnoticed by Anima. The attack on the city the following morning was most likely in response to those ripples. No one knows the potential threat of l'Cie better than Anima."

Mention of the incident sparked a realization for Lightning. "Those l'Cie we fought…the one who attacked New Eden and the one we fought in Sulyya Springs…they were Anima's minions weren't they?"

"Yes, but they were not l'Cie. After the aspects' fal'Cie forms were destroyed, Anima captured all of them but the two here. Without physical forms, Anima is able to bind them to humans, l'Cie to be precise. But his methods are crude. He has to bind them in a way that will allow him to control them. As of now, he has yet to refine the technique, and the process greatly limits the power of the bound aspects. We do not expect this to last, however. Anima's power and skill are prodigious. When he figures out how to correct his method, his minions will be much, much more powerful than Phoenix and Leviathan were when you fought them."

"What happened to the aspects when we defeated their hosts?" Hope asked.

"When they died, you must have noticed energy escape their corpses," Odin told them. Hope thought back to when he had killed Phoenix, and he remembered the surge of magic that had escaped from amidst the smoke of Alexander's attack. "They will return to the objects in which Anima held them. Most likely something similar to these," he gestured at the orbs once more.

Lightning did not hear Odin's answer. A single thought blocked out everything else. "How?" she said softly, turning to Odin. "How the hell are we supposed to do this? We barely survived killing the first two, if the others are going to be as strong as you say they are, we don't stand a chance," she muttered darkly.

"That's another reason we brought you here," Odin told her. "Anima's method of installing aspects into a host l'Cie may be unrefined, but ours is not." He indicated the glowing orbs again. "We are going to give you the power of Eden and Kujata."

XXXXX

"Raines?" was the phrase that was muttered by nearly every councilmember in the room as Rufus introduced his guest.

"What the hell is this?" Heidegar shouted, composing himself. "They told us Raines was dead!"

"Well, I assure you that I am alive," Raines said to him.

"But the attack on Eden six years ago," another councilman said. "The Pulse invasion and the Cavalry's assault…how did you survive?"

"A thrilling tale, but one that will have to wait for another time," Raines replied. "What's important now is that I have returned to lead the people of Cocoon in their time of need."

At this declaration, a stony silence filled the room, the council members exchanging dark looks. "I don't know where the hell you've been, Raines," Heidegar spoke up, breaking the silence. "But this isn't Cocoon anymore, and this council leads the people now, not the primarch." Several of the other council members voiced their agreement.

Raines held a hand up to silence them. "For the past six years, I have searched Gran Pulse, searched for a way to restore the lives we once had, and I have found it. I have found the fal'Cie."

Renewed muttering filled the room, much of it disbelieving. Rufus remained silent, glancing at Raines every so often. After several moments, Raines continued speaking.

"The fal'Cie Carbuncle has granted us its power to help restore our civilization to its former glory," Raines said, looking around at them. "We can use its power to find other fal'Cie. We can rebuild Cocoon even greater than it once was. What we need now is a strong leader to help guide us into the future. If you will allow me, I would be that leader."

XXXXX

"Our method of binding is much different than Anima's," Odin told Hope and Lightning as they followed him through another maze of corridors. Hope held the green orb containing the essence of Eden, while Lightning held the purple orb containing Kujata's. They were both staring intently at the orbs, feeling the warmth and power radiating from them.

"Unlike the hosts Anima used," Alexander rumbled from behind them, "you will remain intact. Anima's hosts were destroyed when he forced the aspects into them; they became nothing more than shells for his minions. The ritual we plan to use will fuse the power of the aspects with your own l'Cie abilities. You will be able to call upon their considerable magical strength to use as your own."

The two eidolons led them into another spacious room, and the minute Hope and Lightning crossed the threshold, they flinched as the energy that filled the area washed over them. Examining their surroundings, they noticed that in the center of the room was a huge white glyph, which was emanating most of the magic. Standing around the glyph were the eidolons who had answered the call of their four companions six years ago: Stiria and Nix, Brynhildr, Bahamut, and Hecatoncheir. As the eidolons noticed them enter, they offered Hope and Lightning waves and nods in greeting.

"Stand in the center of the glyph and hold the orbs," Odin directed them. They complied, standing side by side on the pulsing glyph. Odin and Alexander took their places, completing the circle of eidolons surrounding them. They began to chant softly in a language that neither Hope nor Lightning recognized, and the glyph at their feet began to pulse more quickly, the energy it gave off intensifying. After a few minutes, the eidolons' chanting quickened, growing louder. The glyph responded accordingly, causing Hope and Lightning to grit their teeth from the surges of power that it was releasing.

As the chanting eidolons reached a crescendo, the glyph began to shine so intensely that Hope and Lightning had to shut their eyes against the brightness. The amount of energy was beginning to cause Hope's head to throb while his muscles tensed up uncomfortably. He felt Lightning seize his free hand next to him, and he squeezed back, thankful for the reassuring contact.

Suddenly, the orb in Hope's hand shattered, followed quickly by the sound of Lightning's orb following suit. The energy surrounding him flared up to a level of intensity beyond anything he had ever felt. Without warning, his body went rigid, his jaw clenching painfully. A second later, his eyes snapped open and a flash of green exploding in front of him. His body unclenched and he fell to his knees, panting. The energy in the room was gone, and the glyph was no longer glowing. He gazed around and saw the assembled eidolons closing in on him. He was hoisted to his feet by Alexander, glancing to the side to see Odin likewise helping Lightning to recover. He glanced down at the brand on his wrist to see that it was now the same pale green of the orb that had held Eden.

"It seems that the ritual was a success," Odin said after the two had recovered. "If you would, try and call upon your l'Cie powers.

Hope did as the eidolon asked, reaching for the place in his mind to call his power. When he breached it however, instead of the familiar warmth, he felt as if he was standing at the mouth of a swirling abyss read to swallow him whole. The energy he tapped into coursed through his body like fire. He fell to knees again, and out of the corner of his eye saw that Lightning was similarly affected. As he cut off the flow of energy, he was unnerved by the vast presence he felt within himself. It was ancient and powerful…and so alien that he could not begin to fathom its thoughts.

"Your reaction is expected. The power of the fal'Cie, especially the aspects of Ultima, is hard for humans to deal with. You will need to learn how to channel it quickly, however; we have time, but not much," Odin told them.

"What do you mean?" Hope asked him.

"We restored your power and summoned you here because we have learned that Anima has located a semi operational ark," Alexander said. "If he is able to restore the ark to full power, he will be able to use it to destroy the crystallized Cocoon. Also, with it, he will be able to pinpoint the location of other arks, including this one. If he succeeds in destroying Cocoon and finds us to reclaim the final aspects he needs, all will be lost."

"How much time?" Lightning asked him.

"We are unsure," Odin replied. "We believe he has the means to restore it, but the time it takes him to do so depends on how many minions he has to work on it. It doesn't appear that he has recalled the remaining Espers to his side, nor has he conscripted any of the other inhabitants of Pulse. With a max of ten aspects bound to host bodies, we should have enough time for you to master the power of Eden and Kujata before he is able to repair it."

"We're ready," Lightning said firmly.

Odin held up a hand to her. "The training can wait a few days. You two have been through quite a bit in the past week, and you should have time to recover. We prepared a room for you to use while you are here."

XXXXX

Several hours later, Hope and Lightning were in the quarters that the eidolons had provided them. The room was cozy enough, furnished with two beds and a few chairs and couches. Hope and Lightning sat on one of the couches discussing what the eidolons had told them.

"So what do you make of all this?" Hope asked her.

"I don't know…some of it seems a little unreal and I have trouble believing it…but then I can feel Kujata in the back of my head and I know that it's true," she replied.

"You're right, it's kinda hard to ignore that." He let out a deep sigh. "What they told us about Ultima and Anima…when I think about it, it's hard to paint Anima as the bad guy…I mean, on Cocoon, we were dealing with the same thing, the fal'Cie treated us like pets…tools. And we chose to fight back. If we had been in Anima's situation, we might have made the same decisions he did."

"I know…" Lightning agreed. "But what he's trying to do now…become the next 'maker' and recreate the world…it's the same thing that Ultima did to him. We can't let him replace the fal'Cie as overlord of humanity."

"Gah," Hope growled with frustration. "Things were so much simpler when we were just trying to bring down the sanctum."

They both laughed, savoring the comfort of the moment. There wouldn't be much time to do so for a while.

"We should get some sleep," Lightning said, stifling a yawn. Hope nodded, and they crawled into their respective beds. They could deal with the weight of the world in the morning.

XXXXX

Cid Raines stood in front of the council building, a huge crowd assembled to bare witness to his coronation as the Primarch of New Eden. Those who were not there saw the event over vid screens all across the city.

"People of Cocoon. Today marks the beginning of a long and arduous road. We all still grieve for the paradise that we have lost, and most of us have given up on ever returning to it. I stand here today, however, and tell you that there is hope. The fal'Cie have returned to us, to help us carve out an existence on this wretched world. With their help, we can turn Gran Pulse into a place that we can live without having to struggle just to survive, a place where we don't have to worry if each day will be our last. With the fal'Cie's aid, I have uncovered a powerful artifact from Pulse's past, technology that has been lost for centuries, and with your help, we can restore this relic to its former glory. We can use this 'ark' as the vanguard of our future."

The crowd assembled around Raines erupted in cheers as he finished. All over New Eden, people had renewed hope. None of them noticed the small gray owl that landed lightly on their new Primarch's shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

**So it seems that the return of Cid Raines has not been met with favor. I dunno, I always thought he was a really good character, a compelling tragic figure. His demise seemed a bit anticlimactic, so I wanted to give him a spot in my story to try and do his character a bit more justice.**

Chapter 8

Hope lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling and trying to recover from his recent attempt to draw on Eden's power. It had been a week since he and Lightning had been infused with the power of two of the twelve fal'Cie who had once been the maker, Ultima. It had taken them that long to merely be able to tap into the massive power of the aspects and remain on their feet. They now encountered similar problems when trying to focus that power into spells. When they condensed the raw magic to channel it into the form of whatever spell they were trying to use, it would literally backfire, and the energy would course painfully through their bodies until it dissipated. Hope winced as he recalled the time earlier that day when he had been able to form the magic into a fire spell. As he tried to release it however, the energy had combusted in his grip, nearly costing him his arm. It had taken the combined spellwork of both Odin and Alexander, who often sat in to observe their training, to undo the damage the failed spell had done to him.

He looked over at Lightning, who lay a few feet from him after having suffered a similar episode while trying to put Kujata's power to use. They exchanged frustrated looks and pulled themselves to their feet.

"Don't give up hope yet," Alexander rumbled at them. "You have to give your bodies time to adjust to the level of power that Eden and Kujata possess. Under normal circumstances, the powers of a l'Cie develop gradually on their own, at a pace that humans' can handle. With your powers increasing as much as they did, however, your bodies need time to catch up."

Hope hardly found the words of his eidolon comforting as he tried to shake the ache from his bones. He knew that Alexander spoke the truth though; as he repeatedly tried to grasp at the power and release it in the form of a spell, he could feel it become easier as the hours wore on. This realization, though, was not enough to keep his spirits up. Far worse than the pain caused by a botched attempt at a spell, was the alien feeling of the place where his own magic used to dwell. When he had regained his power, it had felt like being reunited with an old friend. Tapping into his l'Cie abilities, feeling the strength he possessed, had been something of a security blanket to him. It was a comfort to him when the pressure of what he and Lightning were expected to accomplish became too much, and it was his confidence in the face of battle; while Lightning had her soldier training to help her keep her cool during a fight, he had relied upon his magic to keep himself focused. He now understood why what happened during the fight with Leviathan in the springs had affected Lightning as much as it did. The loss of the comforting feel of his power and the unfamiliar presence that had replaced it disturbed him greatly.

"I think that's enough for today," Odin said. "If you push your bodies too hard, you'll end causing more harm to yourselves in the long run."

Lightning and Hope left the room that they used to train, grateful for the reprieve. When they weren't training, they had taken to exploring the ark. The ancient pulse relic contained several wonders that they could spend their time studying. Aside from the hall of reliquaries, the ark held a vast armory of ancient and exotic weapons. It contained conventional weapons such and swords and spears, magical devices that still pulsed with power, and many implements whose use Hope and Lightning could not guess. When they weren't exploring the ark, they rested in their room, passing the time conversing with each other. Hope usually let Lightning do most of the talking; she had taken to reliving several of the missions she had gone on in the military, before and after Cocoon's fall. Hope noticed that she had become much more relaxed talking about herself, and he was happy to see that she was beginning to break down her stoic soldier walls.

After the exertions of the day, Lightning and Hope were too tired to roam the corridors of the ark, and headed for their room to relax. As they entered, Hope made a beeline for his bed and flopped down with a groan.

"You okay?" Lightning asked him as she settled down into a squashy recliner.

Hope rolled over to look at her. "I guess…it's just…I didn't think learning how to use this new power would be so…" he trailed off.

"I know what you mean," she said, stretching her aching limbs. "I haven't been this sore since boot camp."

"It's not that. Controlling the magic was always easy for me…I was always much better at fighting with spells than weapons. And when we lost our l'Cie brands after Cocoon fell, not having it there took me a long time to get used to. When our brands came back, despite the situation, I was relieved, I felt like I was complete again. Now we have this new power, and I know we need it to fight Anima, but…it's so different, I feel like I've lost a part of myself. And the fact that it's a fal'Cie…" He sat up on the edge of the bed and sighed. "It might sound stupid….but I guess I didn't realize how much I depended on my powers."

Lightning got up and took a seat beside Hope, putting an arm around him. "I understand," she said reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll get it back."

XXXXX

"…Evening…" Rufus said curtly to Snow, Serah, Sazh, and Bartholomew.

Although the four were still imprisoned, their circumstances had improved over the past few days. The news that Cid Raines had returned from the dead again along with the fal'Cie to become the primarch had thrown them all for a loop. But even more surprising was Rufus's sudden change in demeanor. He seemed to find the entire situation distasteful, and had lost some of his rough edges. Shortly after Raines' coronation, he had moved them to a small house on the edge of the city. The place was under heavy guard and their chance of escape was small, but the sparsely furnished home was a large improvement over a jail cell. They had even been allowed to contact Gadot and Lebreau so that Snow, Serah, and Sazh could have reassurances that their children were safe and being well cared for.

After that, Rufus had frequently visited them, spending more and more time with the prisoners. At first, the four were skeptical of the man's intentions and were put off by his presence, but they had developed a grudging tolerance for him. He was never accompanied by guards, for they all new that with his l'Cie powers, they could not harm him.

The four acknowledged Rufus as he entered, the atmosphere tensing up slightly at his appearance.

"Don't you have better things to do than come here?" Bartholomew said coldly. Out of the four, he still harbored the most hatred and distrust for the man. "Doesn't the council have its hands full assisting the new primarch?"

"The council," Rufus said slowly, "has no real power any longer. Raines has the complete faith of the people since he has put Carbuncle to work. With all the raw materials and food that the fal'Cie has been producing, a large portion of the population has been freed up to continue working on the ark." A bitter look crossed his face as he finished.

"Having second thoughts?" Bartholomew asked him. "You're the one who allowed Raines to take control."

"I had no choice," Rufus replied, his hand gripping the spot on his arm where his l'Cie brand lay.

"So you say," Bartholomew replied. They all knew that the return of Raines and the apparent ease with which he had assumed power meant that there was something much worse behind it all. Rufus had not revealed anything to them, claiming that his brand prevented him from telling them anything.

Bartholomew sighed heavily. "Bickering is pointless, I suppose. There isn't much we can do from here. Has there been any word of Hope or Lightning?"

"No. Their whereabouts are still unknown."

"Probably for the best," Sazh said as he walked over to the two men. "No news is good news for now."

XXXXX

Hope sat cross legged on his bed in the darkness, engaged in a silent struggle. It had been five days, and he and Lightning were still having trouble using their powers. They had made progress, but only about half of their spells were successful; the other half either sent them to the floor in spasms of pain or blew up in their faces. Even when his spells did work, Hope knew that something was wrong. Releasing the power felt…off somehow. Where before it had felt smooth and natural, like the energy was waiting to be released, now it felt forced and rigid. At first Hope had attributed this to his body not adjusting to the magic yet, but after a few days, he realized that he had stopped making progress; the energy's unnatural feel was not lessening. Despite Odin's warnings about not pushing himself too hard, over the past few nights he had been waiting until Lightning had fallen asleep, then delving into his mind to try and work through whatever barrier was preventing him from mastering Eden's power.

Hope attempted to probe the vastly unfamiliar consciousness that now shared a space in his mind, but he could only feel what he knew was the tip of the iceberg that was the fal'Cie's essence. Try as he might, no matter how much he pushed or prodded at it, he could elicit no response. He could feel that Eden was still aware, but he could not reach him.

After several more minutes examining Eden, Hope gave up trying to contact the mute fal'Cie. He instead turned to the well of power that had once been a source of comfort to him. When he reached it, he flinched slightly; he was still not used to the endless abyss that he found instead of the warmth of his old power. He stood at the edge of the abyss, gazing into its depths with a profound sense of dread. Since the night he had first started these meditations, deep down he knew it would come to this. During the training, he had been drawing power from this abyss while standing at the edge, and he felt that was part of the problem. He steeled himself for what he knew he must do, and flung himself into its swirling depths.

All awareness of his body was obliterated, and for a moment he thought that he was dead. After a few seconds though, his senses returned to him. He opened his eyes and was assaulted by pulsing lights of every color. He examined himself, and he seemed to be floating. Looking around, he saw currents of what he could only assume was magic in its purest form. He watched, mesmerized, as it flowed around him, shifting and swirling with no discernable pattern. Sometimes it would move like water, and then suddenly it would move like air. It was not the raging abyss he had expected, but it was every bit as chaotic…yet there was an inescapable beauty about it. He could float there for hours and watch it.

Engrossed in the spectacle as he was, he forgot all about his original purpose, until a green tint came over the dancing energy around him. He glanced around, startled, looking for the cause of the sudden change.

_Interesting…._ The single word reverberated through the space around him, and at the same time it bounced maddeningly around his skull, as if it came from both without and within. As he looked around once again to try and determine the speaker, he gasped as the consciousness he had been trying to reach for the past few nights washed over him in full force. If brushing the tip of Eden's essence had disturbed him, being enveloped in it nearly drove him insane. He struggled to maintain a grip on his identity as the fal'Cie's very being pressed in on him from all sides. Just when he thought he was about to lose himself in it, the pressure vanished.

_You are the host_ came the voice again, as Hope tried to recover.

"…Eden…" Hope murmured. The word echoed back at him several times.

_You are strong willed for a human _the fal'Cie said. _Not many of your kind could withstand such close contact with the mind of a fal'Cie._

Hope was taken off guard by the compliment. After a few moments, he managed to compose himself and ask "What is this place?"

_The deepest recess of your mind, of course. The place where your power dwells_.

"But how can I be in my body inside my mind?"

_Your consciousness takes whatever form is most comfortable for you._

"…right," Hope said, still trying to get a hold on the situation. Deciding it was best not to try and think about it, he pressed on to the reason he was there in the first place. "I came here because I need to learn how to use your power."

_I thought as much. I've felt you struggling for the past week, but I could not assist you while the barrier in your mind separated me from your magic._

"Barrier? What barrier? The eidolons didn't say anything about that," Hope said, confused.

_The Menhirrim are powerful, and they know more of Gran Pulse than any others, but even they do not truly understand the fal'Cie and their relationship with humans. The barrier I speak of stems from your l'Cie power._

"…I don't understand," Hope began, "how can my l'Cie power be keeping you out? My magic is my l'Cie power."

_Humans truly are curious creatures _Eden said. Hope thought he could detect a trace of amusement in the fal'Cie's voice. _You have greater potential than any other beings in existence, even the fal'Cie, yet you go through life without ever realizing it. The l'Cie brands that we mark you with serve only to unlock the door to that potential. Your magic is your own power, not ours._

"W-what?" Hope sputtered, trying to digest what Eden had told him.

_All humans possess the capacity to use magic, however the route to awakening that latent power has been lost to them. When taking humans as servants, making them into l'Cie, fal'Cie open a portal to allow the human to access their magic. As the l'Cie grows stronger, the portal opens wider, allowing more power through. But it is that portal that keeps you from fully merging with me._

"So what do I have to do?" Hope asked.

_Because your l'Cie power comes from me, I can remove the portal. You just have to keep the path to your magic open long enough for me to enter._

"How?"

_That is something you must figure out for yourself._

"And if I can't?" Hope asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

_If the pathway to your magic closes, there will be nothing to restrain my power. It will course through you until your very being is burned away from your body._

Hope sighed. _Figures_ he thought to himself. _But there's no turning back now._

As if he had heard Hope's thoughts, Eden said _Tell me when you are ready._

Hope pulled himself together as best he could, shutting out all the things he knew would distract him from what he had to do. The fact that no other person in known history had been able to access their magic without the help of a l'Cie brand and the fact that if he failed to do so, his body would be hollowed out to a burnt husk were pushed aside. He was within his own mind, surrounded by the magic that gave him the strength to keep going, and he was fighting to reclaim that power.

"I'm ready," Hope said with all the conviction and determination he could muster.

Eden's overwhelming consciousness closed in on him again, but he did not falter. He could feel the fal'Cie reaching into his being, and he gritted his teeth against the intrusion. He struggled against himself to let the fal'Cie in while the magic around him began to swirl more violently. The gentle pulsing had become angry. Gone was the elegant beauty of the energy, replaced by a maelstrom of chaotic power.

Hope felt his body seize up, and saw the energy grow even fiercer around him. A burning sensation from his left wrist told him that Eden was removing the l'Cie power that was in his way. As the sensation lifted, he could feel the fal'Cie's essence closing in tighter around him, and he looked down at himself to see that starting from his feet up, a green tint was enveloping his body. At the same time, the magic around him starting closing in, as if the space itself was imploding. The crushing weight that resulted from this was far worse than Eden's presence had been. The space was becoming smaller around him, and he knew without a doubt that if it swallowed him before he merged fully with Eden, he would die. He fought with every ounce of willpower he possessed to hold back the vortex of energy around him.

As Hope struggled, the progress of the magic slowed, but did not stop. A quick glance down told him that the green tint was almost to his waist. Studying the progress of the imploding magic told him the current pace would result in his death. He struggled harder, but could not slow the energy down.

He cursed silently to himself as his efforts continued to be futile. _Think, Hope! There has to be something you're doing wrong. _He thought over what Eden had told him, trying to find the answer. _He told me I had to keep the path to my magic open…_ Hope closed his eyes and tried to calm himself and shut out his impending doom. _This is my power_ he told himself. _Not something that some fal'Cie gave to me._ Instead of trying to push the energy back, he reached for it, like he would if he was using it to cast a spell. The familiar sensation of the magic coursed through him, and that more than anything, helped him regain his composure.

He opened his eyes to see that the torrents of magic had stopped closing in on him mere feet away. Letting the energy flow through him, he tried to will it to back off, but it remained unmoving. Looking down, he saw that the rising green tint that was Eden's power had stopped just under his neck. Hope quickly realized he would need to provide the last nudge to complete the process, but try as he might, he could not summon the strength. Between Eden's presence, the smothering energy swirling way too close for comfort, and the effort required to hold that energy at bay, he was taxed to his limit.

As he continued trying to find a way to break the stalemate he was in, he thought about why he was here, risking his life to become stronger. He would have liked to think that he was fighting to protect the people of Cocoon, to keep them safe in the harsh world they had been thrust into. He would have liked to think that he was fighting to do the right thing, to prevent a tyrant like Anima from coming to power. He would have liked to think that he was fighting to protect his father and his friends. But as he floated within his own mind, locked in a struggle that would result in his death if he lost his concentration for even a second, he found it hard to lie to himself. When he thought about why he was fighting, he could think of only one person.

"Light…" As he said her name aloud, images of her filled his head and he finally found the strength he needed. With a burst of energy he threw open the path to his magic, blasting away the torrents of it that had surrounded him. In the next instant, Eden's power merged fully with his own, and his vision was filled with a pale green burst of light. Before the area around him faded, he thought he heard a distant _Well done…_

Hope's eyes snapped open, and it took him a few moments to realize he was once again sitting in his bed. He looked around and saw that the room was bathed in a pale green light emanating from his brand. He looked down at it and let out a small gasp; the brand had branched out, sending the green arrows snaking up his arm towards his shoulder. He rolled up his sleeve as the lines disappeared under his shirt, and saw that they went over his shoulder, stopping a few inches onto his chest.

Almost unconsciously, he reached for his powers, and this time his gasp was much louder. The alien presence of the fal'Cie was gone. The magic he had been so familiar with came flooding back, but its strength had increased tenfold. The warmth that had given him focus was now a blazing inferno, but it was not uncomfortable. His body hummed with energy and magic, and he had to stop himself from casting a spell right then and there and destroying the room. He was unable to stifle a fit of relieved laughter.

A groan from the side startled him, but he quickly realized that it was Lightning, stirring from sleep. She opened her eyes and looked around at him, tensing up as she noticed the green light. Before she could take in the scene and question Hope, he wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I did it," he told her. "I talked to Eden and I got my power back."

"W-what?" she stammered out, taken off guard by a combination of grogginess and the sudden embrace. Hope showed her the green brand that had crawled up his arm, and her eyes widen. He pulled her out of bed and out of the room, leading her through the ark to the room they trained in, while trying to explain what had just happened to him.

As Hope opened the door and entered their training room, Lightning stopped him, an annoyed look on her face. She didn't seem to have taken in half of what he told her, still trying to shake the sleep out of her eyes.

"You…talked to Eden?" she said, as she gathered her wits.

Unable to contain the magic any longer, Hope decided to answer her question with a demonstration. He released the power in the form of a thundaga spell and was stunned by the unexpected ferocity of it. Huge bolts of lightning erupted from his arm and slammed into the wall, sending tremors through the room. As the spell ended, he noticed large scorch marks on the walls despite Odin's reassurances that the room was fortified with enough magic to not be affected by their spells.

"Damn…" Lightning murmured after the tremors subsided.

Hope went over what had taken place within his mind with Lightning once again, giving her a detailed account of what Eden had told him and how he had been able to fully merge with the fal'Cie's power. After he had told her all he could, she sat down and entered the meditative trance that he himself had just gone through. Although he did not doubt her, he could not suppress a pang of anxiety as he was bathed in the soft purple light of her brand glowing through her night shirt.

Hope sat down across from her and waited, watching her intently. After about twenty minutes had passed, beads of perspiration began to form on her forehead and her face began to twitch as if she was in pain. He balled his fists in frustration over his inability to help her.

As the minutes dragged by, Hope's apprehension grew. Finally, ten minutes later, Lightning opened her eyes. Hope watched as the purple spikes on her brand extended up to her collar and across her chest to her left arm, stopping just after her elbow. She was panting heavily, but she flashed him a triumphant grin.

"That was…intense," she said as she caught her breath and stood. She held up an arm and released a thundaga spell as Hope had. Though it was less powerful than his, it still left ugly burns upon the wall.

Hope stood up too, stifling a yawn and suddenly realizing how exhausted he was. "We should get some sleep," he said to Lightning as she flexed her arms to get a feel for the new power she possessed.

"Yeah," she agreed, "we'll tell Odin and the others in the morning."

Hope looked over at the far wall, and cringed as he examined the scorch marks caused by their spells. "They're probably gonna be a little upset when they see how badly we scuffed up their ark."

XXXXX

"The restoration of the ark goes well," Cid Raines said as he looked around at the assembled council members. "The fal'Cie Carbuncle's production output is exceeding all of our highest expectations, and the people of New Eden have complete faith in their leaders."

"Is that why you called us here?" Heidegar said gruffly. "To gloat over the success of your new regime?" Over the past few weeks, the council members had fostered a growing resentment towards the developing situation in which they were quickly being shut out by their new primarch. Heidegar was the most outspoken about this particular issue, but was far from the only one harboring ill will towards Raines.

"I do not idly brag, I merely state the reasoning that has lead me to the decision I am about to share with you. It has become clear to me that the authority of a single leader is undermined by the continued existence of others who appear to have influence. A strong hand is necessary to rule, one that is not held back by the parasitic clutches of those who try to grasp at power."

An undercurrent of muttering and worried glances crossed the chamber. Rufus alone remained silent, but tensed up as he realized what Raines meant to do.

"You think you can just walk in here after six years and dissolve this council?" Heidegar asked angrily. "As much as you claim they love you, the people won't stand for a move like that!"

"Dissolve? No, I mean to tell them that the collective council decided that it was in the peoples' best interest for there to be one voice ruling them, not many," Raines replied smoothly.

"So we're to just step aside then?" Heidegar spat back at him.

"No, that won't due either. Political dissidents are a threat I will not tolerate." Raines snapped his fingers, and the doors on either end of the room burst open, a dozen armed soldiers filing in from both of them. Before any of the council members could react, the soldiers open fired on them. Rufus threw up a protect spell over himself, lamenting that it did not block out of the sound of his dying comrades.

As the sound of the soldiers' automatic weapons stopped, Rufus looked up at Raines, fury etched on his face. "This wasn't part of the deal!" he snarled at him.

Raines looked over at him with a puzzled look, as if he had forgotten he was there. "Oh, you're still alive Rufus?"

"I held up my end of the deal!" Rufus shouted at him. "You weren't supposed to kill them!"

Raines let out loud chuckle. "Deal? You were tasked with clearing the way for me to come to power, then step aside. That is all. You have no further use to us."

Rufus could not contain his anger. He let loose a blast of magic at Raines, who sighed, and held up a hand to block the spell. Rufus's attack did not even phase him.

"Well, I suppose you did complete your task admirably, and that's worth something," Raines drawled. He snapped his fingers again, and Rufus's brand began to pulse angrily. He looked down at it, but before he could reach out to touch it, his body was encased in crystal.

Raines walked over to Rufus's crystallized form, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, perhaps we can find a use for you after all…"

XXXXX

In the week since they had mastered the use of their aspects' power, Hope and Lightning had begun training against some of the ark's living weapons. The eidolons had been shocked to learn of how they had connected with Eden and Kujata, and were eager to put their new power to the test. With their enhanced abilities, Hope and Lightning were able to destroy waves of the normally magic resistant Pulsework knights, and even the intimidating tyrants were dispatched with little effort. The only thing left to do was hone their abilities while they waited for the eidolons to locate the ark that Anima had scavenged. Since they could not track the vessel while it was inactive, they were attempting to locate the energy signatures of aspects that had been pressed into a human shell. So far, however, if any of them were currently in a l'Cie host, they weren't using their power.

In their most recent training session, Lightning and Hope had just dispatched a trio of tyrants, with one left lumbering towards them. With a quick glance and nod to each other, they jumped back, widening the distance and dropped into casting stances. As the artificial monster raised its shield to create one of its sentient swords, it was hit with dual firagas, one from each of them. The tyrant convulsed, then fell to the floor, a charred wreck.

Although Hope shot her an encouraging grin, Lightning wore a disgruntled frown. She had made great progress in improving her spellwork over the past week, due in no small part to the power she had gained from Kujata. Aside from simple raw power, she had also improved her technique quite a bit. Lightning thought she might have been catching up to Hope in skill, but in that last attack, she could easily tell that his firaga was much stronger, both in terms of size and power. She could tell that her own abilities had stopped improving, as if she had hit a wall that halted her progress.

Putting a hand over her face, she angrily thought back to the reason that she was focusing so much on her casting abilities. Four days ago, she had been working on energizing her gunblade with magic, wanting to see how much stronger it would be with her new power. Military issue gunblades, however, were not designed with the extreme levels of energy she could now produce in mind, and the blade quickly deteriorated from the intensity of the magic, and eventually shattered. Odin had assured her that he could make her a new gunblade that could withstand the energy using the technology of the ark, but until then she was stuck working on her spellcasting. Lightning knew she needed work in this area, but she was much more comfortable directing her magic to enhance her strength, agility, and her weapon.

"You okay?" Hope asked her, noticing the agitated look on her face.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively, forcing a smile.

"You're a bad liar," he responded, walking over to her.

She sighed heavily. "I've gotten better at casting, but I've hit some kind of block. Is there something I'm missing, or have I just hit my limit?"

Hope looked at her pensively. "I don't think you're at your limit. Eden told me that humans have 'greater potential than any other beings in existence.' Cast a spell, maybe I can figure out your problem."

She obliged, turning and dropping into her casting stance. Hope studied her intently as she loosed a thundaga spell.

"Hmmm," Hope said as he walked over to her. "Your stance is too tense." He came up behind her and gently moved her arms into a more relaxed stance. She felt a slight heat rising in her face as she felt his breath on the back of her neck. "If you try too hard to force the energy to do what you want, you'll get results, but they won't be as strong as they could be. It's more like…you have to guide it. I'll show you."

As he continued to move her arms through a graceful range of movement he indicated as his casting form, she felt his body begin to pulse with energy. As she followed the flow of energy coursing through him, she could immediately notice the difference. Hope let his magic enter his very being, became one with its warming presence. She reached for her own power and let it suffuse her body, and the difference became even more noticeable. While she could feel the energy and its warmth, she could not give herself over to it as Hope did. Years of fighting, of depending on maintaining total control over her body made it difficult for her to allow her magic to flow unchecked.

"You have to relax," Hope whispered to her, and she tried to ignore the tingle that ran up her spine as she once again felt his breath on her neck and his voice in her ear, attributing the sensation to the energy running through the two of them. "The power comes from you… you have to trust it to do what you need it to do." Lightning tried to clear her mind and do as he told her, but she could not dispel the tiny piece of her in the back of her mind that would not relinquish control.

"Watch," he said to her softly. He let go of one of her arms and held his palm up, away from them. She could feel the energy within him quicken and was startled at the sudden blast of frozen magic that was his blizzaga spell. She marveled at how smooth his cast was, he didn't even have to focus on the energy to get it to take the form he wanted it to. She mimicked his spell, and cringed at her own sloppy technique. Next to Hope's spellcasting, hers felt like half dried cement next to a crisp stream of water.

Hope did not comment on her ability, but returned his arm to hers, and continued leading them through the same calming movements. "Let me help you," he told her.

"How?" she whispered back to him.

"Just trust me." Once again, Lightning felt Hope's steady flow of energy quicken, and without warning, it began to stream into her. She was unable to stifle a small moan as it washed over her, quickening her own magic to match its pace. She threw up walls of resistance subconsciously, and had to fight against herself to pull them down. After a short internal struggle, she was able to lower her guard, and Hope's power flowed smoothly with her own. Their joined energy coursed between the two of them, uniting them as a single entity. With the help of Hope's calming presence, she was able to finally release her grip on the magic. The tranquility that settled over her mind as she did so was unlike anything she had ever felt.

Knowing what to do next, Lightning channeled her power into a spell. As soon as the decision to use blizzaga flicked across her mind, the magic complied. An enormous burst of frozen magic erupted from her hand. Drawing upon Hope's power as well as her own, the spell was stronger than anything she had thought possible. It struck the far wall of the room, which instantly began to freeze. When the magic was spent, the entirety of the other side of the room was covered in ice, and tendrils of frost reached nearly to the middle of the room on all four of the adjacent walls.

The connection between them broke, leaving both Hope and Lightning panting heavily. She turned to him, and he gave her a small smile while he caught his breath. "You just have to let go," he said to her simply.

XXXXX

Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Bartholomew were sitting around the living room of the house that acted as their prison, watching the news on the vid screen.

"Progress on the ark continues, while more and more volunteers flock to undertake the project from all over the city. Current estimates place the completion of the Pulse relic in a week's time," the reporter said pleasantly.

"That can't be good," Sazh muttered, shaking his head. "Whatever the hell is going on around here, you can bet that thing is the key to all of it."

Snow clenched his fists angrily. "I can't take this, sitting here not being able to do anything while our city gets taken over by who knows what…"

Serah put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing we can do. Even if we could get out of here, we can't take on the whole military to stop them."

"She's right," Bartholomew said solemnly. "We have to trust in Hope and Lightning now…they are the only ones who can stop this."

The four turned their heads away from the news report as the front door suddenly opened. They looked over, expecting to see Rufus, and were startled when several armed soldiers entered the house.

"What's going on?" Snow demanded.

Loud clicks were audible as the soldiers took the safety off their weapons. "We're here to relocate you," the soldier in the front said, taking aim at Snow who had risen to his feet, and was cracking his knuckles menacingly. "You will be moved to a high security detention center. You are to be executed one week from today."

XXXXX

Lightning lay in her bed sleeping, but far from peacefully. She was tossing and turning, and her eyes fluttered beneath her lids. She thrashed around for several more minutes, when she awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright.

"Dammit…" she said with frustration as she held her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the screams of her friends, a sound that haunted her dreams nearly every night.

"Light…?" She looked over at the sound of her name to see Hope sitting up, rubbing his eyes and looking at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

She sighed. "Yeah…sorry…just some nightmares…" she said wearily.

But Hope was far from reassured by this. He got up and sat on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in his. "Are you still dreaming about them? The soldiers?" he asked her.

"…No," she murmured. "Lately I've been having nightmares about the people I care about…dying, being burned alive. Serah, Snow, Sazh….you." She brought her free hand up to rub her eyes, where Hope saw a wet film of tears begin to form.

As her body began to shake with silent sobs, Hope pulled her into a gentle embrace, stroking her back and trying to calm her. "It's okay," he whispered to her, as he felt hot tears drop onto his shoulder.

After several minutes, Lightning regained her composure. She pulled away slightly, resting her head on Hope's shoulder as he draped an arm around her. "How do you do it?" She asked him. "How do you deal with all of this?"

He smiled as she looked up at him, waiting for an answer. "I have you," he said to her softly. Her eye widened a bit, but when no response was forthcoming, he continued. "When all this started again, when we got our brands back, I was worried but…I was happier than I had been in a long time. I felt like I was just drifting through life on auto pilot, not really living it, not the way I was meant to. When we got our powers back, I realized that was what I was missing…purpose. I missed fighting against every monster that the world had to offer, knowing that with each triumph we were making it a better place. I missed knowing that I had the power to protect people, the power to fight for what I believed in. And most of all…I missed being with you."

"Hope…" she started, but he cut her off.

"Whenever things got to much back then, you helped me through it. You were there for me when I had nobody else, you helped me find the strength I had within myself. It's the same now. Whenever things get to be too much, when the weight of the burden we carry becomes too much to bare, I think of you. When I was fighting to master Eden's power, you gave me the strength I needed to get through it. You give me the strength to keep going. Let me be there for you, too. Let me help you through this. Let me be your strength when your own isn't enough because…I love you, Light."

As he confessed to her, Lightning once again felt the energy course through his body and pour into hers. She let him in, and as the calming tranquility settled over her mind, he guided her down to the bed. She fell asleep in his arms, and for the first time in a long time, she slept soundly.

XXXXX

Lightning awoke first the next morning, and it took her several moments to remember what had happened the previous night. Hope was still asleep, his arm draped over her protectively. She could feel his heart steadily beating in synch with her own, as their magics were still attuned. She gently severed the connection and quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake him. She walked over and sat on one of the chairs in the room, and mulled over what had happened.

_He said he loved me_ she thought, and the memory stirred an array of strange emotions. This was something new to her, something she had never dealt with before. After her parents died, she had worked hard to shut everyone else out, even Serah, to an extent. Hope was the first person she had really let in, the first person she had trusted in a long while. She knew that the young man had some kind of feelings for her, but she had never thought they ran that deep. She thought back over their time together since this whole mess had started again. He was there for her when she needed him, despite how often she tried to push him away. He could always keep her from losing herself in her own despair. _I care about him, but…do I love him too?_ She tried to sort through her emotions, while the memory of Hope's confession ran errantly through her head.

XXXXX

Nix sat in front of the glowing screen of a console, tapping buttons every so often and looking bored. It was her shift to scour Gran Pulse for the energy signatures of Anima or his servants, but nearly two weeks of finding nothing was starting to wear down the patience of all of the eidolons. Several more minutes passed like this, but when Nix began to doze off from the tedium, the monitor began to flash, and a soft chiming sound emanated from the console.

"W-what?" the startled eidolon stammered as the elbow holding up her head slipped off the console. She looked at the flashing screen, pressing buttons frantically and reading the foreign characters that were appearing on the screen. "Uh…Stiria?" she called to her sister. "I think you better come take a look at this…"

Stiria walked over to her sister, a concerned expression on her face. "What is it?" she asked. "Did you find something?" Stiria leaned over and read the writing flashing across the screen.

"…Get the others," she said to Nix, her voice shaking. "Now."

XXXXX

Hope awoke some time later, looking around for Lightning as he noticed her absence. He sat up and saw her sitting in a chair, lost in thought.

"Light?" he called to her. Startled, she looked up at him, her expression unreadable.

"Morning…" she said tonelessly.

"Light…" he started tentatively. "About last night…I…" but she held up a hand to silence him.

"Hope, I know you meant what you said, but…this isn't something I'm used to…I don't know if I can give you what you want…" she looked down at the floor, a sad expression crossing her face. "You deserve to be with someone who can love you back…someone who isn't an emotional disaster like me."

"Light, I'm not pressuring you into anything….I know you need more time, and I'm willing to wait as long as I have to for you. You're the only woman I could ever be happy with."

Before she could respond, a sharp knock on the door echoed through the room, followed quickly by Odin entering.

"What's wrong?" Lightning asked him, looking around quickly at the eidolon.

"We've…found something," Odin replied grimly.

Lightning and Hope pulled on their gear in silence while Odin waited at the door, oblivious to the palpable tension that had settled over the room. "Follow me," he said to them as they finished.

He started down the hallway, and Lightning went to follow, but Hope grabbed her arm to stop her. She turned to look at him, a wide mixture of emotions in her eyes.

"When this is all over," he said to her quietly. "We'll figure things out."

She offered him a small smile, and they left the room, following in Odin's wake.


	9. Chapter 9

**I want to start by saying thanks to everyone who's been reading and enjoying this story so far. Knowing that there are at least a few who like it helps me get through the garment rending frustration that accompanies bouts of writer's block, especially while I was writing this chapter.**

**Sorry this one took so long, RL eating into my time again. When I did get to sit down and write, I found this chapter to be really hard to articulate for some reason. I would only get about a page done after two or three hours, and then give up for the day due to lack of inspiration. The next time I would try to continue, I'd end up deleting half the page I had wrote the previous day. It got really frustrating, but I managed to stick it out. **

**Anyway, here's chapter 9 at last.**

Chapter 9

Lightning and Hope followed Odin through the ark, sharing worried looks. Their recent awkwardness was forgotten in the face of the eidolon's dire tone and anxious gait. As Odin lead them through another one of the mazes of corridors that seemed to make up half the vessel, his pace quickened to an uncomfortable speed, and the two were soon forced to break into a jog to keep up with him. They turned a corner and unceremoniously bumped into the eidolon, who had suddenly stopped in front of a door as if he had remembered something. Lightning, who had managed to remain standing, offered a hand to Hope, who was not so lucky. He took it, but at the sudden contact of her hand in his, his body would not respond to the orders to pull itself up. Lightning seemed likewise transfixed, and their eyes met. The sound of Odin pushing open the door ended the brief moment, and Hope quickly pulled himself to his feet. The eidolon did not seem to notice the tension between the two, nor the unspoken words heavy on their lips.

"I nearly forgot," Odin said as the two followed him into what appeared to be both an armory and a forge. "Your new gunblade is ready, Lightning, and just in time." Odin opened an ornate case to reveal a magnificent gunblade in its compacted shooting form. It was adorned gracefully by blades of a golden material that Lightning was unable to identify, but knew it had to be the magic resistant ore of Gran Pulse that Odin had told her about. Getting past the majesty of her new weapon, a slight frown crossed her face as she realized it was noticeably larger than the gunblades she was used to wielding.

Reading her expression, Odin walked over to her carrying the weapon. "Don't worry about its size; the ore and our forging techniques make the finished products much lighter than they appear, while not compromising the strength of the steel." Lightning tentatively reached for the weapon, and picked it up. Her arm gave a sudden jerk as she lifted it due to how much she had underestimated the eidolon's claim. She was shocked as she tested the weight and found it to be lighter than her old gunblade. With a flick of her wrist she extended it into its sword form and she realized that it was a smaller version of either of the weapons she wielded alongside Odin in gestalt mode. Though the gunblade lacked the dramatic curve, the golden hilt and edge and the black pattered steel on the flat of the sword were all too familiar. She swung the blade around, getting a feel for its weight and length, and was more than satisfied. The weapon felt more natural in her hand than any other that she had wielded.

Pleased with the feel of the weapon, she had one last test for the marvelous blade. She held it horizontally in front of her and charged it with energy, slowly and cautiously at first, afraid to damage the gunblade. She could feel it hum with power in her hand as she continued the stream of magic into it, but it did not feel as if it was about to burst. On the contrary, the blade seemed to be soaking up the energy like a sponge, and as it began to crackle with electricity, Lightning knew that it could hold all of the considerable power she possessed and then some.

"It's perfect," Lightning admonished as she folded the weapon up and tried to tuck it into the sheath hanging at her thighs, forgetting it would not fit. Odin gave her an appreciative smile and produced a new sheath from the same box the weapon had been in. It was crafted of a sturdy black material she did not recognize. She removed her old sheath and donned the new one, though she wore it at a steeper angle to compensate for the added length. Holstering the weapon, she turned to exit the room as Odin walked past her, the grim expression quickly returning to his face and the brisk pace returning to his step.

"We're almost there," he told them. Hope and Lightning exchanged dark looks, not knowing what to expect but knowing that it couldn't be good.

XXXXX

'Almost there' turned out to be a relative estimation. It took them another half an hour at Odin's frantic pace to reach their destination. Upon entering, Hope and Lightning were greeted by a cacophony of beeps, clicks, and static. A few of the other eidolons were already assembled in the room. Stiria was sitting at a console that was making most of the noise, Nix was standing over her tapping her foot impatiently, and Brynhildr was leaning against a wall on the other side of the room, her weapon resting next to her.

Lightning and Hope had the chance to catch their breath after Odin's march and were able to compose themselves in a dignified manner before the other eidolons noticed their presence. As the eidolons turned to them, the lack of the customary nods, smiles, or any form of acknowledgement made the tense atmosphere in the room much more palpable.

"Did you manage to get anything else?" Odin asked as he walked over to Stiria and began to read the flashing console over her shoulder.

"Not yet," Stiria responded, her obvious agitation making it clear she had been asked this question several times already.

"What's going on?" Lightning asked, folding her arms over her chest. She and Hope walked over to stand on either side of Odin, though neither of them could make any sense of the characters dancing across the screen.

"Did you find one of the aspects Anima is controlling?" Hope questioned.

"No…" Odin replied slowly, eyes not leaving the screen. "We found Anima's ark."

It took a few moments for what he said to sink in. "But I thought you couldn't track the ark unless it was active…" Hope said, a weight falling into his stomach as he caught on to the situation.

"It….is active," Stiria murmured, and Hope's fears were confirmed. Lightning stiffened next to him.

"You said we had time," she said slowly , and Hope could detect anger rising in her voice. "How did they get it running so fast without you being able to detect any power sources?"

"When we found their ark's energy signature, we broke into their systems. They haven't detected us yet, and they apparently haven't been able to activate the sensors on their ark, so they haven't located us. We…found some data files that might…explain," Stiria said worriedly. She pressed a few buttons on the console and pulled up a picture on the screen.

Hope and Lightning both had to do a double take at the sight of the figure on the screen. No matter how much they told themselves it was impossible, there was no denying that the figure was none other than Cid Raines, standing in front of the capitol building of New Eden.

"…Raines?" Hope said disbelievingly, staring transfixed at the picture. Stiria pressed another button, and the picture became a video. Lightning and Hope stood there, unable to form words, as they listened to what seemed to be Raines' inauguration speech as the primarch of the city. Only the sight of the small gray owl landing on Raines' shoulder at the end of his speech snapped them back to their senses.

"That owl…" Lightning began, her hands tightening into angry fists.

"Barthandelus…" Hope finished.

"So Anima took over the city and had the people repair his ark? How the hell did this happen?" Lightning demanded.

"After you arrived, we were only searching for Anima or his minions…it seems he didn't use any magic to accomplish this," Odin responded. "We never thought he would be capable of something of this magnitude without using his own power or the power of any of the aspects."

"So how much time do we have now?" Lightning asked.

"According to the data, their ark is set to depart five days from now. Officially, it says it's a test run, but the course they set leads them right to the crystallized Cocoon," Stiria responded.

"Five days?" Lightning exclaimed, "It took us almost that long to get here, we have to leave now if we want to make it."

"There's one other thing…." The eidolon said, her voice filling with trepidation. "We found a file that has information on your friends. Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Bartholomew."

A pit forming in their stomachs, Hope and Lightning's eyes widened and their bodies tensed up. "What does it say?" Hope asked slowly.

"They were imprisoned shortly after you left the city…" Stiria began, turning to the two of them with a nervous expression. "They're scheduled to be…executed on the morning the ark is set to take off."

The pit in Lightning's stomach filled with ice, and her mind shut down. The only thought that she was able to process was the realization that she had once again failed to protect her sister, along with everyone else in New Eden.

Hope was similarly affected, but was able to clear his head enough to continue the conversation. "We have to save them," he said shakily.

"You have to stop the ark," Odin corrected him firmly. Hope looked up at him and opened his mouth to respond, but Lightning beat him to it.

"You can't expect us to ignore them! I won't abandon Serah!" she shouted angrily at her eidolon. "Not again…" she murmured softly, and only Hope caught the remark.

"We aren't going to abandon them," Odin assured them.

"We will rescue them," Brynhildr said, straightening and gripping her weapon. Hope and Lightning looked over at the eidolon curiously.

"You, Hope, Alexander and I are going to board the ark and try to keep it from taking off," Odin said, turning to Lightning. "At the same time, Brynhildr, Stiria, and Nix are going to break into the facility where your friends and family are being held and rescue them. The majority of New Eden's and Anima's forces will be at the ark, so they shouldn't encounter too much trouble."

Lightning and Hope looked at each, both mulling the plan over in their minds. "If we can reach the ark before it takes off," Odin continued, "we can access the main control system from the bridge, and link it to this ark. Bahamut and Hecatoncheir will remain here, so that if we do get there in time, they can wipe the ark's mainframe. Not even Anima would be able to find a way to use the ark then."

"What if we don't get there in time?" Lightning asked the eidolon.

"According to this," Stiria said, "if the ark does take off, you'll only have about an hour before it's in range to fire its main gun and destroy Cocoon. If it comes to that, the only way to stop it will be to damage the core of the vessel enough to disable its weapons. If you damage it too much though, the ark will explode, which will probably destroy Cocoon anyway."

"The core of an ark is basically a huge source of magic that powers all the systems of the vessel. If you attack it with a certain amount of your own magic, it will overload enough to prevent the ark from firing on Cocoon," Nix explained.

"How much magic?" Hope asked.

Odin produced a small white crystal from a pouch and handed it to Hope. "This crystal can hold the exact amount of energy it will take to disable the ark's weaponry. It will be able to hold the energy for only a few moments and will only attain the correct frequency if imbued in the presence of the core, so you won't be able to fill it until you're in the room with it."

Hope looked at the crystal sitting in his palm for several seconds, then stowed it away in a pocket, nodding resolutely at Odin.

"If this is all happening in five days, we need to leave immediately," Lightning repeated, glancing around agitatedly at the assembled eidolons.

"That won't be necessary," Odin replied. "Alexander, Bahamut, and Hecatoncheir are working on our mode of transportation as we speak."

"Transportation?" Lightning queried, cocking an eyebrow in curiosity.

"They are restoring an airship that can get us to New Eden swiftly. It will take them three days to ready the ship, and just under two days to reach the city. As long as we don't encounter too much trouble getting into the city itself, we should be able to board the ark with enough time to keep it from taking off," Odin answered.

"You're sure this ship will work?" Lightning demanded, growing angry again. "If something goes wrong…" she trailed off, bringing her hand to her face in frustration.

"Lightning, you have to trust us," Odin reassured her. "The ship will be ready, and we will stop Anima and save your friends." Lightning clenched her jaw, apparently unconvinced. Hope put an arm on her shoulder, but she didn't look at him. After a few seconds, she shrugged his hand off, perhaps more harshly than she intended to, and made to leave the room.

"Three days…fine…but if Serah dies then I'm done with all this…the rest of Pulse can burn for all I care," she said coldly.

XXXXX

The next day, Hope sat in a chair, his hands behind his head in the position he favored when he was doing some serious thinking. As it had been over the past few weeks, the main subject of his thoughts was Lightning. He had not seen her since she had left after the eidolons had told them about Anima's ark and his plans for their friends. Sporadic bursts of energy that he knew came from her told him that she had spent most of that time in the training room. She had most likely even slept there, as he had waited up for many hours the previous night for her to return to their room. He initially wanted to give her some space after what had occurred, but he knew that he had to try and help her through whatever she was dealing with soon; any distractions would be fatal when so much hung on their attack on the ark.

Hope also knew that he had gotten through to her, at least a little bit. He didn't think she wasn't avoiding him so that she could wall herself off once again, but that she was trying to sort through the tumult of emotions brought on by the events of the previous morning. As Hope continued to think, the major question he kept returning to was whether she was more affected by the fact that he had told her that he loved her, or the news of their friends' impending execution. He was more inclined to think the latter, but from how awkward and nervous she seemed talking about the former before Odin interrupted, he couldn't be sure. He silently cursed the horrid timing of it all.

After another hour or so, Hope realized that he wasn't going to be able to come up with any sort of pre-meditated speech, deciding his best option was to just talk to her face to face and trust himself to know what to say. He sighed heavily and got up, heading for the door. As he wound his way through the corridors of the ark, the tingling on the back of his neck from Lightning's discharges of magic increasing, he couldn't help but marvel at the twisted interest that fate seemed to have in the two of them.

XXXXX

Hope carefully opened the door to the training room, not wanting to surprise Lightning and risk serious injury in the process. She sat in the middle of the room with her back to the door, her new gunblade stuck in the floor next to her. From the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders, he assumed that she had just finished a bout of activity. The smoldering remnants of several Pulse automata surrounding her lent further support to his theory. He looked around the room and cringed as he noticed the far left wall. Several large rents ran down the surface, each several feet deep. Two of them had scorch marks and another was fringed with patches of ice, indicating that Lightning had been practicing infusing her new weapon with various flavors of magic.

Hope gathered his wits and walked into the room. He had gotten halfway to Lightning when she tensed up and turned to him, her expression blank. She stared at him for a few seconds before facing forward again, saying nothing. Hope walked over and sat down in front of her, but still no response was forthcoming.

"Odin won't be too happy when he sees that you messed up the walls of his ark again," he said lightheartedly, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah…" Lightning replied softly, looking over at the damage she had inflicted on the room with a distinctly uncaring expression.

"Look, Light…" he began, drawing her gaze to him. As she turned to him, he noticed that her stoic façade seemed to be failing her. "I'm…I'm worried about everybody too, but we have to trust Odin and the others. They won't let us down, and we need to focus so that we don't let them down either. We're the only ones that can stop the ark from destroying Cocoon."

Lightning looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "I know," she said softly. "But…I'm not used to having to depend on other people like this. If something did happen to them…to Serah, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for abandoning her a second time."

Hope frowned slightly at her response. "Light, there's nothing wrong with trusting people once in a while. Neither of us would have gotten this far if we didn't have each other to depend on." 

"I know that, Hope. If it weren't for you, I…" She sighed, and looked up at him again. "When this whole mess started, I thought that I could handle it, but then after what happened with Phoenix…I don't know, I guess I realized that whoever I was up until then wasn't good enough anymore. It was just like when my parents died...who I was wasn't able to cope with it, so I became Lightning. I don't know who I became this time…but one of the only things that kept me going was the knowledge that I was fighting for Serah and the others, to keep them safe. And now we find out that because we fought, they're about to be executed…" She trailed off and stood up, turning her back to Hope, who also got to his feet.

"Light…" he said and made to put a hand on her shoulder, but she continued speaking.

"I've always had to rely on myself…I never had anyone else. Taking care of Serah was the one thing that gave me purpose. When she became a l'Cie and turned to crystal, I blamed myself for not trying to help her…and I lashed out at everything around me. Then I found out that she might come back, and I had a goal again." She looked down and laughed bitterly, turning back to face Hope. "But when Serah did finally come back she married Snow, and it didn't take too long for me to figure out that she didn't need me anymore. For a little while, it didn't get to me too much because I was wrapped up in helping settle New Eden. After that though…I guess I was jealous of her, of what she had. And deep down I couldn't shake the thought that she still hated me for walking out on her when she told me she was a l'Cie, and that made me resent her even more. I hated myself for thinking like that, for being that petty. So I shoved it all down and locked it up, and lost myself in being a soldier again…being Lightning. Stifling my emotions was the one thing I'm good at…" she trailed off again, and shook her head, as if disagreeing with herself. "Or what I used to be good at anyway."

She crossed an arm over her chest and rested her elbow on it, her head in her hand. As she lost herself in thought, Hope tried to decide what to say, or if he should say anything at all. Lightning was opening up to him more than he could have hoped for. He looked up at her when she sighed heavily.

"I saw all this as my second chance, I guess," she said quietly. "I thought that if I kept them safe I could make up for not being there last time…" she turned around again, staring up at the ceiling with one hand still on her forehead, the other dangling at her side. "And you were there with me the whole time and I thought that this was also my second chance to…" Lightning stopped mid sentence, and turned to face Hope with a mildly surprised look on her face as if she had forgotten he was there.

Her surprised expression quickly turned back to one of sadness. "I've been alone my whole life," she began, and Hope couldn't stop an expression creeping across his features that mirrored her own. "I don't know how to be anything but alone…you're one of the only people that I truly consider a friend, and I know that you want…more. I think I might too…but I don't know how this is supposed to work. I don't want to push you away…if I open up and you don't like what you see…I don't want to lose you."

"You never will Light," Hope replied softly. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked in her eyes, seeing the green from his own gaze reflected in the soft blue of hers. "Even if it's just as a friend, I'll always be there. You don't have to be alone anymore." He offered her a small smile as he brushed lightly past her and left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

XXXXX

Hope had been asleep in his bed for a while, when he was awoken by the smell of strawberries and the light scratching of hair across his face. After a few moments he recognized the scent and the touch of Lightning, and with a small smile that went unseen in the dark, moved over to give her room. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her and drifted back to sleep. Even without the connection of Hope's mind through his magic, Lightning slept soundly.

XXXXX

The next two days passed quickly. Lightning spent most of her time in the training room, perfecting her technique with her new powers and gunblade. Hope joined her occasionally, but usually kept to the sidelines watching her fight, and either meditating to delve deeper into Eden's power, or practicing filling the crystal that Odin had given him. Hope knew that if they had to use it, the room housing the ark's core would not go unguarded, and he would not be able to fight while he filled the crystal with his energy. So far, he estimated that filling the crystal took around ten minutes, but he was unsure if the core's resonance would have an effect on the speed of the process.

When he wasn't doing either of those things, he would just sit and watch Lightning. He noticed a change in her demeanor. It was subtle, but he could tell that she carried herself with more confidence, as if the ropes weighing her down with all of the guilt and anger she was dealing with had suddenly been cut. Hope was happy to see her apparent freedom from her emotional baggage, as she seemed much more like her old self. She would come back from training later than he would, and she would crawl into his bed and drift off to sleep in moments. He did not try to push for more, he was willing to wait until she was ready. Hope was content to lay awake and listen to the rhythmic breathing that accompanied the rise and fall of her graceful form. When he eventually fell asleep, his dreams were full of things which made him relieved that they were not sharing their magic as they slept; he couldn't be sure that she would not be pulled into his nighttime fantasies through their linked consciousnesses.

XXXXX

Hope and Lightning awoke early on the morning that their ship was to leave for New Eden. They wiped the sleep from their eyes and got their gear together in silence. A glance at the clock told them that they still had another hour before they were supposed to meet Odin and the others to board the airship. They sat next to each other on one of the cozier couches in the room.

"I'm gonna miss this place," Hope said as he looked around the room that had been their home for the past few weeks. "It was a little…unnerving at first, with all the corridors and the feel of all the energy, but I gotta say it grew on me."

"I know what you mean," Lightning replied after another minute. "But I'm glad to be getting back out there. They need us, and it didn't feel right spending all this time hidden away in this ark while Anima has his way with the rest of Pulse."

Hope took her hand and turned to her, his gaze firm. "We'll stop him," he said. "We won't let him destroy our home." She gave a nod and a smile, and Hope put an arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and they sat in silence for a while.

"Hope," she said after a while, raising her head to look at him.

"Hm?" he responded, returning her gaze.

"I just wanted to say…thanks for being patient with me. I know I can be…difficult sometimes but it means a lot…that you're here." Hope could tell that she seemed embarrassed, and he knew she was having a hard time articulating what she wanted to say. "I…don't know who I am yet, but once I figure it out…"

Hope took her hand and brushed aside the sheet of strawberry blonde hair that hung over her face. "Light I told you, you don't have to thank me. I care about you more than anything. It doesn't matter to me who you are, as long as you're happy." She leaned closer, and Hope was again assaulted by the scent of fresh strawberries. Their faces were inches apart, and she smiled at him.

"Hope…call me Claire." Hope smiled back at her, and leaned a bit closer. A sudden noise echoed through the room, and the two of them jumped, letting out startled yelps. Hope looked over and was unable to keep down a surge of irritation as he saw Odin walk in.

"The ship is ready. I thought you might like to leave as earlier as possible," the eidolon said, oblivious to the daggers that Hope was staring at him. Lightning was standing up, looking flustered and trying to compose herself. She grabbed her sheathed gunblade and attached it to her back, giving Odin a quick nod. Odin returned the gesture and left the room.

Glancing awkwardly at Hope, Lightning turned to follow. Halfway to the door however, Hope gently grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her into a passionate kiss. She was startled at first, but he felt her smile against him, and she began to reciprocate. Hope tried to put all of his love and affection for her into the tender embrace, which seemed to last an eternity. Hope savored the feel and the taste of her lips, and a shiver went down his back as she moaned softly. Knowing they could not dawdle though, Hope reluctantly broke the kiss. They stood their forehead to forehead, their breathing shallow. Hope could not keep the grin from his face, and opening his eyes, saw that Lightning wasn't able to either. The two composed themselves, and taking one last look around their room, left to follow Odin. Hope turned to Lightning as they started down the familiar corridor.

"Well, let's go save the world…Claire."

XXXXX

After about ten minutes of walking, Odin led Hope and Lightning into a room that they had not seen before. It contained only one thing, and that was one of the familiar elevators that had brought them from Taejin's Tower down to the ark in the first place.

"This will take us to the surface, where the others are waiting," the eidolon told them, and they promptly boarded the machine. As soon as they doors closed, it began to rumble and shot upward. After a few minutes, they encountered resistance, and Hope and Lightning knew they had left the ark behind and were burrowing up through sand. They waited in silence for a while, and finally felt the elevator break the surface and come to a stop.

The door slid open, and Hope and Lightning had to shield their eyes from the glare of the morning sun over the desert. They gingerly stepped out of the elevator and took in the fresh air, relieved to be out in the open after almost a month underground.

"Hey, over here!" came a voice, and the three of them turned to see Nix waving at them. Stiria, Brynhildr, and Alexander were also there, standing around a large airship that faintly resembled the one that Barthandelus had provided for them all those years ago, but quite larger. Lightning, Hope, and Odin walked over to the others, admiring the airship that was already thrumming with energy and kicking up some sand in the process.

"The ship is ready," Alexander rumbled.

A ramp descended from the bottom of the craft, and they all filed in, Alexander taking up the rear and barely able to fit through it. The inside of the craft was spacious and lined with various sized chairs for the eidolons. Stiria and Nix took seats in what Hope guessed was the cockpit, while Brynhildr and Odin took the larger seats behind them, resting their weapons across their laps. Lightning and Hope made for two human sized seats towards the back, while Alexander stood behind them against the far wall.

As they all settled in, Stiria began to press some buttons, and the engines on the ship revved louder. Nix turned to them, a slight smirk on her face and called out over the noise "Hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy take off!" No sooner had she said this had the ship began to shake violently. The eidolons braced themselves, and Hope and Lightning quickly pulled their seat belts across their chests and locked them in place. The ship began to rise off the ground, and the shaking intensified. Hope found Lightning's hand and held on tight as the ship took off.

Hope, Lightning and the eidolons sat in silence as the hours slipped by and Gran Pulse flew past beneath them. The ship had settled down after a while in the air, and the thrum of the engines, the sound of the air as it whistled over the hull of the vessel, and the occasional shifting of one of the occupants was all that was heard. All of them were steeling themselves for the coming conflict.

Eventually the sky outside darkened. "We should try and get some sleep," Hope said as he turned to Lightning. She nodded, stifling a yawn, and he put an arm around her. After a while, they drifted off to sleep. They were unaware of Nix's subdued giggles as she nudged her sister and pointed at the two of them sleeping in each others arms.

XXXXX

The next day passed much the same way, the hours filled with mostly silence accompanied by the occasional short whispered conversation. Night eventually fell again, but Lightning and Hope were far too tense to even consider sleeping.

"We're getting close to New Eden," Odin eventually said. It was a few hours past midnight, with the ark set to take off at noon, along with their friends' execution. Hope and Lightning straightened up at the eidolon's announcement.

"What's the plan?" Hope asked.

Nix pressed a button and a large map of what appeared to be New Eden was projected on the vid screens in front of them. "We are going to enter the city from the west gate," Odin began, and map zoomed to the indicated sector. "The ark lies roughly in the center of the city. We'll have to slow down a bit once we enter New Eden, so it will take us at least two hours to reach it. We're going to jump once we're over the ark."

"Jump?" Hope asked incredulously.

"Indeed," Alexander rumbled from the back of the ship. You're going to hold on to me and we're going to jump. The ark is too heavily guarded to approach any other way. The others will continue on to the facility where your friends are being held."

"After we rescue Snow and the others," Nix began, "We're gonna come back to the ship and wait for your signal. We'll pick you up, and depending on how things go, we'll figure out our next step from there."

"You're forgetting one thing," Lightning said as they finished laying out the strategy. "As soon as we cross into the city, the military's sensors are gonna pick us up. We won't make it halfway to the drop off point before their cruisers catch up to us."

"Well that's one of the reasons the ship took so long to get ready," Stiria said, joining in the conversation. We were able to come up with a program to jam their sensors. We'll be able to slip in to the city without them catching us. They won't know we're here until we start our attack."

Lightning nodded, seeming mildly impressed at the eidolons' foresight. "Even if they are against us," Hope spoke up, "the soldiers don't know they are being manipulated. We have to try and avoid killing them if we can."

"We'll do what we have to," Lightning said quietly next to him, a grim expression set on her face.

XXXXX

A few more tense hours passed until the adamantine walls of New Eden came into view. The sun had yet to rise, so the lights from the city were visible over the city's defenses. Lightning and Hope grew more apprehensive as they neared their home. The eidolons were likewise fidgeting more restlessly, checking their weapons and exchanging glances with each other.

As they approached the wall, Lightning felt Hope stir with energy next to her. She looked over to find him with his eyes closed in the middle of a spell. "What are you doing?" she whispered to him.

"We may not show up on their sensors, but sentries can still spot us just by looking up. I'm giving us some cover," he replied out of the corner of his mouth. When his fog spell finished and Lightning felt a rush of power from him, a thick cloud of mist formed around their ship.

"Good thinking," Odin commended him as he noticed the spell.

Despite the eidolons' assurances, Lightning could not suppress a feeling of unease as they crossed into the range of the military's scanners. She held her breath and strained her ears, waiting for the telltale sound of the alarm being raised. Several minutes passed in silence, and she finally relaxed. _When all this is finished, I'll have to talk to the brass about upgrading our sensor equipment_ she said to herself.

The ship slowed, but remained on course. Hope and Lightning looked out the window down at the city, noticing it was oddly still even for the early hour. Lightning did spot several people milling around the streets and a few on the rooftops, and she assumed they must be soldiers. _They're guarding the thing that's going to lead to the destruction of everything we've built, and they don't know it._ She began shaking with anger thinking about it.

Hope grabbed her hand to calm her down, and she welcoming the comforting gesture. "We'll stop him," he said, knowing what was causing her anger. "We won't let Anima get away with all of this."

XXXXX

Time dragged by slowly as the city passed beneath them. As the first light of the sunrise began to peak over the horizon, Hope and Lightning caught sight of the ark. Despite having been inside two of the ships, the sheer size of the vessel stunned them. It was beyond massive, with a design so foreign that the two were unable to pick out most of the features they knew must be there. The ark was bronze colored, with intricate patterns carved into much of the hull. Several large spires rose from the top of the ship like fingers reaching to the sky that the ship longed to travel once more.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Odin said, noticing their awestruck expressions. Lightning turned to her eidolon, noticing the forlorn expression on his face and the almost envious tone to his voice. She knew that seeing one of the arks that he and the other Menhirrim built to protect Gran Pulse being used to destroy the last remnants of Ultima must have been even harder for him than seeing the soldiers being used in much the same way.

They drew nearer to the ark, and Odin stood, bracing himself on the wall next to him. Alexander likewise rose to his feet. Lightning and Hope exchanged a quick look and followed suit. "Are you ready?" Alexander rumbled.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Hope said hesitantly, not looking forward to plummeting the several hundred feet to the ark below. They followed Odin and Alexander to the area of the ship where the ramp would open and they would start their freefall.

"Climb on," Alexander said deeply. Hope and Lightning exchanged another worried glance, but with a shrug Lightning hopped up onto the hulking eidolon's shoulder. Hope shook his head in exasperation and climbed onto Alexander's other shoulder. The hatch began to open, and the sound of the wind rushing around them intensified.

"Good luck, guys," Stiria said to them with a nod.

Lightning turned to the three female eidolons still seated, a concerned look in her eyes. "We'll keep them safe," Brynhildr assured her. Lightning offered a small smile, and turned back to Hope, who was looking rather nervous at the prospect of leaping out of a moving airship.

"You ever do anything like this before?" Hope shouted to Lightning over the gale.

"A few times," she yelled back. "Nothing quite this high though. The trick is not to look down."

Hope laughed uneasily. "Yeah…right," he said, and his gaze was inevitably drawn downwards. His only warning that Alexander was about to jump was the flash of bronze from the ark's hull. Alexander jumped first, and Odin quickly followed. Hope and Lightning were instantly buffeted by wind as Alexander plummeted down towards the ark. Hope looked over at Lightning, and uttered a laugh that was lost in the wind. Lightning's was gripping Alexander's shoulder and gritting her teeth against the force of their descent, which was also causing her hair to stand straight up and blow wildly over her head.

"Brace yourselves!" Odin yelled. His shout was quickly followed by the sound of bullets ringing off his shield and Alexander's armor as the soldiers noticed the freefalling eidolons. Hope and Lightning felt Alexander gather energy for attack and gripped harder, realizing that Odin was also gathering power. After another minute or so, the ark getting closer by the second, both eidolons unleashed their attacks, which exploded into the hull of the ark. Despite the obvious resilience of the vessel, Hope and Lightning could both tell that the attacks had done some damage. They braced themselves and shut their eyes as Alexander crashed into the spot they had attacked, which splintered under the weight and velocity of the huge eidolon.

Alexander hit the floor of the ark, and the impact sent jarring waves of force up to greet Hope and Lightning. Lightning jumped off and landed gracefully, while Hope fell of and hit the ground, panting and dizzy, but grateful for the solid ground underneath him. Odin landed next to his fellow, and seemed quite unphased by the whole ordeal.

This time, their entrance did not go unnoticed. An alarm began to screech through the ark, and several soldiers entered the roof, guns raised. Without hesitating, Hope unleashed a waterga spell, and the men were hurled into the wall behind them by the force of the wave.

Odin looked around for a minute, trying to get his bearings. When he found them, he pointed to the door that the soldiers had just entered. "Come on, the bridge is this way."

They filed through the doorway, and unsurprisingly were greeting by a labyrinth of corridors. They ran down them for half an hour, fighting off more groups of soldiers as they went. Odin came to a sudden stop when the alarm changed, and a voice blared over the loudspeaker. Hope and Lightning instantly recognized the speaker as Cid Raines.

"Attention all personnel," Raines said evenly, "We will be launching emergency take off protocols to contain the intruders. All flight crew members report to your stations. All military forces engage in defensive countermeasures." As he finished, the ark began to vibrate and hum with energy, forcing Hope and Lightning to lean on a wall to remain standing.

"Shit," Lightning cursed as she was thrown into Hope. "We're too late, it's taking off!"

"Back this way!" Odin shouted over the noise. He indicated a passage off the corridor they had just passed. "We have to get to the core." They backtracked to the corridor and headed down it. The ark began to rumble harder, and after about ten minutes Odin told them that it had taken off.

"So we've got about an hour starting now," Hope reminded them. As they ran on, Lightning noticed that the direction they were heading was conspicuously free of soldiers. The corridor ended as they entered a large room, and she found out why.

Two people were standing next to each other in the center of the room. They looked up at the group who had stopped in the doorway. Hope felt a familiar sensation as the two began to emanate powerful magic.

XXXXX

"What the hell is going on out there?" Snow muttered as he glanced out beyond the door of the cell he and the others were confined in. For the past half an hour, the whole building had been full of crashes and gunfire.

"Maybe it's Hope and Lightning," Sazh offered optimistically. "Snatching us from the jaws of death at the last minute seems like something they'd do." Serah smiled halfheartedly, and Bartholomew made no indication that he'd heard the comment. Snow continued leaning against the cell door, watching several soldiers running past.

About ten minutes later, the crashing began to intensify. They could feel the tremors from battle and hear the frantic shouts of the soldiers as they discharged their weapons. After a few minutes, the clamor died down, and Snow craned his neck to try and catch a glimpse of what was going on. Two figures turned corner into Snow's line of site. As they came into focus, the burly man blinked several times, but there was no mistaking the familiar figures of his twin eidolons, Stiria and Nix. The sisters were followed by Brynhildr, Sazh's former eidolon.

"Uh guys…I think I might be goin' a little crazy over here," he said to his cellmates.

"Crazier than usual?" Sazh replied.

The three eidolons stopped in front of their cell, and all four of them gasped. "You guys can see them too, right?" Snow asked. "I'm not hallucinating or anything, am I?"

"What are those things?" Bartholomew said in awe, a sentiment Serah shared.

"Our eidolons…" Sazh murmured. Brynhildr stepped in front of Stiria and Nix and motioned for Snow to stand back. When he was at a safe distance, the eidolon ripped the door off the cell and casually tossed it aside. Stiria and Nix quickly brushed past Brynhildr and ran over to a startled Snow.

"Snow!" Nix shouted happily, as she and her sister embraced the man who they had once fought beside. "It's so good to see you again!"

"W-what?" Snow stammered, as Stiria and Nix each kissed him on the cheek. "Since when can you guys talk?"

"Who're your friends, Snow?" Serah said icily as she walked over to stand beside her husband and get a closer look at the two strange women who were being so familiar with him.

"Oh…uh…this is Stiria and Nix, they were my eidolons when I was a l'Cie, I told you all about them," he said, trying to placate his wife. He turned back to the sisters. "Guys, this is my wife, Serah."

As Stiria and Nix exchanged greetings with Serah, Sazh exited the cell to greet Bryhildr. "Long time no see," he said to the eidolon, who offered him a nod. "You guys can talk, huh? What's up with that?"

"We'll explain everything, but we need to get you out of here first," Brynhildr replied. She looked over to Stiria and Nix and gestured them to get a move on.

"Wait," Bartholomew said as he was the last to leave the cell. "Do you…eidolons know where Hope and Lightning are? Are they safe?"

"Hope and Lightning returned with us to New Eden," Stiria answered. They are with Odin and Alexander, trying to keep Anima's ark from taking off."

Most of this declaration made no sense to the four, but they were nonetheless comforted to hear news of their missing companions. Bartholomew smiled for the first time since they had been imprisoned.

"We'll explain later," Brynhildr repeated, "But for now, you have to trust us. We need to get out of here."

Not needing to be told twice, the four followed the eidolons through the facility, back the way they had entered. The route bore battle scars from the eidolons' forced entry, and was free of soldiers to try and stop them. They were nearing the entrance when the three eidolons stopped abruptly.

"What's the hold up?" Snow asked, looking around Nix to see what was wrong.

'Stay back!" Brynhildr commanded, throwing a hand out to stop him. Two people were standing across from them. One was a woman with pure white hair wearing a melancholy expression and humble garments. The man standing next to her had a tangled mane of jet black hair and a crazed expression on his face. He was lightly armored and wielding two weapons that appeared similar to the stun batons that the guards used, but they ended in wicked looking curved blades. The eidolons winced as the strangers began to pulse with energy.

"Madeen…." Brynhildr said, looking at the woman. She turned to the man and hesitated a second before saying "Typhoon…"

XXXXX

"These guys are aspects aren't they?" Lightning said, glancing at Odin, who was appraising the two magic users who were blocking their path. The man on the left was huge and muscular, more so than anyone that either Hope or Lightning had ever seen. He was bald and wore a dark sleeveless coat over a bare chest. In contrast to his intimidating appearance, he had a peaceful expression on his face. Next to him was a blonde woman in military attire. She was armed with two blades that were attached to bracers on her forearms. She stared determinately at the group.

"Yes…" Odin said slowly. "Hashmal, the aspect of earth," he indicated the burly man on the left, "and Mateus, aspect of ice," he pointed to the woman on the right.

"We don't have time to deal with them," Hope said anxiously.

"I know," Odin replied. "You two are going to go on ahead. Alexander and I will handle those two."

"Think you can handle them?" Lightning asked her eidolon with a smirk.

Odin chuckled to himself. "Who do you think you're talking to?" Lightning gave him a determined nod and grabbed Hope's hand, pulling around the room, skirting the two aspects. Mateus moved to block them, but a thunder spell from Odin stopped her.

"I am your opponent, Mateus," Odin said to her as he calmly closed the distance, bringing his sword and shield to bear.

Hashmal made no move to stop Hope and Lightning, seeming bored by the situation. He looked at Alexander who walked over to face him. Despite the eidolon's bulk, Hashmal did not back down an inch. "And I'll be yours," Alexander rumbled at him.

XXXXX

Lightning pulled Hope out of the room and the two of them ran down the corridor that they had entered. After a minute, they came to a fork.

"Which way do you think it is?" Lightning asked Hope.

Hope closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The left," he said after a moment. "I can sense the power coming off the core." The two of them ran in the direction he indicated, coming to two more forks before Lightning could also feel the power from the ark's magic source.

Hope stopped in front of a large door, pulling out the small crystal Odin had given him. "The core is in here," he said to Lightning. "I won't be able to fight while I energize the crystal, and I doubt it's going to be unguarded."

Lightning drew her gunblade from its sheath, keeping it in its gun form. "I'll manage," she said to him.

Hope pushed open the door, and the two of them walked into a massive circular room. A large bridge about ten yards wide stretched to the center, where a huge bright orb rested. The orb was emitting a low hum, and was flickering between the full spectrum of colors as it provided power to the ark. Hope and Lightning walked cautiously across the bridge. Looking over the side, Hope saw that the room was spherical, and the walkway they were on cut through to the center of the sphere.

Halfway across, the two of them were startled by footsteps from behind them. "Ah, it is good to see you again, my friends," came a smooth voice. Lightning and Hope turned to the speaker, and saw Cid Raines walking calmly towards them, the small gray owl hooting softly on his shoulder.

XXXXX

**Again, sorry for the long wait for the update. This whole chapter wasn't in my first blueprint of the story. I actually intended the previous chapter to end where this one did, but when I got to the point where the last one ended, it felt like the end of the chapter to me. I suppose it was a good thing too, because this certainly went on longer than I thought it would. The interactions between Hope and Lightning in the middle were what I had the most trouble on, but I think they came out pretty good.**

**Sadly, the next chapter will probably take just as long to get out, it's gonna be pretty action packed, and mapping out several fights at once without making them boring or repetitive is going to be a challenge. Anyway, hope you liked chapter nine.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Dreadfully sorry for the wait once again, I've had a busy week. Didn't get a chance to start writing until Friday, and I celebrated my twentieth birthday on Saturday with copious amounts of alcohol, so I couldn't write too well during the weekend. I also picked up Red Dead Redemption (incidentally a pretty good game so far). But I haven't played it in three days, I've been trying to get this damn chapter done all week.**

**Hope it's worth the wait. Enjoy chapter 10.**

Chapter 10

"It's been too long," Raines admonished, unperturbed by the fact that Lightning had a bead drawn on him with her gunblade or by the death stare she was giving him. Hope stood next to her, anxiously rolling the crystal Odin had given him around in his hand. "I'm glad you could both be here at the dawn of the new world…"

"Hope," Lightning whispered out of the corner of her mouth as Raines drawled on. "Go fill that crystal in front of the core, I'll hold him off."

Despite a heavy knot in his stomach, Hope knew that Lightning could take care of herself. With a quick nod, he turned and ran down the bridge and sat a few feet from the edge, just below the core. On top of the softly pulsing colors and the intense feel of the magic it radiated, Hope also felt a pleasant warmth given off by the large orb. He contemplated the sensation for a moment, but quickly shut it out and dropped into a meditative trance and began to pour energy into the small crystal.

As the sound of Hope's footsteps reverberating through the room, Raines trailed off from his long winded speech. Lightning tensed up, but he did not move to pursue. "Hmm," the man said, a smirk appearing on his face as he watched Hope run down the bridge.

"You'll have to get through me first," Lightning said evenly, aiming her gunblade right between Raines' eyes.

"Indeed," he replied nonchalantly. "But I prefer it this way. From one soldier to another, fighting civilians doesn't have quite the same…thrill as fighting trained professionals."

"Cut the act," Lightning spat. "You're not Raines. Raines was a good man caught up in the machinations of the fal'Cie…I won't let you insult him further by using him as your shell, Barthandelus!" She squeezed off a quick three shots. Barthandelus didn't even flinch, however, and the bullets bounced harmlessly off the fal'Cie's barrier.

"Impressive," Barthandelus mocked, letting out a few condescending chuckles. "But allow me to show you how it's done." He threw off his cloak with a dramatic gesture, and the gray owl took flight. The movement catching her eye, Lightning adjusted her aim and fired off another shot, catching the small bird square in the chest. It hit the ground with a feeble screech and dissolved into gray energy, leaving only a few feathers behind.

Barthandelus looked down at the spot curiously. "What was that for? Did you perhaps think that destroying Menrva would prevent me from using my power?"

Lightning gritted her teeth and scowled, but quickly regained her composure. She lowered her gun to her side and brushed her bangs out of her face. "Something like that," she replied.

"I see," Barthandelus said. "While it's true that when I was masquerading as Dysley Menrva did hold a sizeable portion of my strength, in this form I have no need to separate any of my power from myself. He was with me now merely because I had grown accustomed to his presence."

Lightning responded by extended her weapon into its blade form and dropping into a battle stance, her gaze unwavering.

Barthandelus sized her up with what appeared to be a practiced eye. "Hmm, interesting choice. Most gunblade users start with simpler forms, yet you lead with the most complex, Renzokuken."

Lightning cocked an eyebrow, obviously taken off guard by Barthandelus's knowledge of gunblade techniques. "How…?"

"I wonder how much you know about Raines. Before he became the commander of the Cavalry, he was quite a talented soldier, most notable for his skill wielding gunblades." He reached behind his back for something Lightning could not see. "A skill which I have inherited from my gracious host." He produced a gunblade from a sheath that Lightning hadn't noticed, and dropped into a stance similar to her own. "I wonder how your own ability measures up."

XXXXX

Odin and Mateus circled each other, both with weapons ready sizing up the other. The two were clearly tense, ready to spring into battle at the slightest sign of aggression. Odin's dual ended sword crackled with electricity, while Mateus's arm blades were covered by a layer of ice, causing them to gleam menacingly. The two maintained intense eye contact.

Alexander and Hashmal, on the other hand, had yet to move at all. Hashmal still wore the same disinterested expression, and was seemingly unaffected by the gaze of Alexander, who stood a good seven feet taller than the human form that the earth aspect was pressed into. After another minute passed in silence, Hashmal sat down cross-legged and placed both of his palms flat on the ground on either side of him. His muscled chest heaved as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Alexander shifted slightly, drawing a look from the earth aspect. "Something the matter?" the eidolon rumbled, curious of his opponent's strange behavior.

"Yes, Anima sending the aspect of earth to fight on an airship, the bastard." He sighed and after a few moments stood up again. "But I suppose the material the ark is made out of is receptive enough to magic for me to make due." Hashmal began to flex his corded arms and perform a few warm up stretches.

Alexander looked down at him pensively. "It doesn't have to be this way," the eidolon said. Hashmal looked up at Alexander with one eye open, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know what Anima told you, but the truth of your origins…"

Hashmal raised a hand to silence the eidolon. A slightly angry expression crossed his face as his gaze fell to the floor. "I know about everything…about Ultima. Most of us do." Alexander was taken aback, and across the room, Odin stiffened, apparently having been listening to Hashmal. The earth aspect exchanged a glance with Mateus, who also had a frustrated look on her face. "After Cocoon fell and our fal'Cie forms shattered, we regained memories of our…past existence as Ultima. But we were unable to stop Anima from capturing us. Now we are his slaves, forced into human bodies to do his bidding."

Odin turned away from Mateus to address Hashmal. "We can help you break Anima's hold over you," the eidolon offered. "If you can just resist him long enough to stand down…"

"We cannot," Mateus said mournfully. "His will is too strong…"

Hashmal grimaced in pain, rolling his head around his shoulders. "His voice crawls through our skulls like a poison. Some of the more…chaotic aspects are driven mad by it. But even for those of us who are able to retain our sanity…there is no way to fight his control. The only thing you can do for us is destroy these forms."

"Our essences return to Anima after they are liberated from a host," Mateus began, "but it seems he is unable to immediately press them into new ones. Anima attempted to put Phoenix and Leviathan into new bodies, but neither of them fused with the humans properly, resulting in the deaths of the intended hosts. We don't know how long it will take Anima to overcome this, but if you can defeat all of us quickly enough, he will be without servants and vulnerable."

"Then we will free you from your shells," Alexander said, gathering energy. Closing the distance to Hashmal much quicker than his size would suggest was possible, he leveled a punch at the aspect. Reacting just as rapidly, Hashmal crouched to the floor and pressed his palms against it once again. The metal around his hands began to ripple, and it flowed like water over his forearms. It solidified to into twin gauntlets on both of his hands, and he met Alexander's punch with one of his own. Their fists collided and sent shockwaves through the room.

Odin and Mateus stumbled a bit from the force of the impact. "Perhaps we should move to another location," Odin suggested, motioning to a door that lead to an adjoining room. Mateus nodded, and the two of them entered the slightly smaller room off of the one reverberating with the force of Alexander and Hashmal's blows.

They moved to the center of the room and squared off again, reading their weapons. As another layer of ice coated Mateus's blades, a sad smile crossed her face. "Don't hold back," she murmured. "I won't be able to."

XXXXX

"Who are these guys?" Snow asked again to the eidolons standing in front of him. He was puzzled when he noticed the anxiety etched in the faces of Stiria, Nix, and even Brynhildr. "What's up? I don't know about that chick over there but that guy looks like a soldier to me, nothing we can't handle." He cracked his knuckles and made to brush past Stiria, but she threw out a hand and pushed him back, knocking him to the ground. "What's the big idea?" Snow said angrily to his former eidolon.

"Stay back Snow!" Stiria shouted, and Snow was put off not by the fact that she had shouted at him, but by what he could have sworn was fear in her voice. The group was startled when the man armed with scythes began to cackle uncontrollably.

"If the human is eager to die," he sneered, "don't stop him." He spun his weapons in his hands a few times, and a gust kicked up around him. The wind caused the man's mane of hair to blow wildly around him, giving him an even fiercer look.

"What the hell?" Snow exclaimed as he and the others were buffeted by the gust. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"…Typhoon," Nix replied.

"Typhoon? Is that supposed to ring a bell?"

"Snow, I promise that we will explain everything when we get you all out of here," Stiria assured him. "But for now, please just stay back and let us handle this. These two are very power, and very dangerous." She turned to Brynhildr. "Nix and I will handle Typhoon. You take care of Madeen."

Brynhildr nodded, readying her weapon as she walked over to stand before Madeen. Up close, the eidolon saw that the woman's misery was even more noticeable. Taken aback by Madeen's expression, Brynhildr lowered her weapon slightly. Noticing this, Madeen looked up at the eidolon in front of her.

"Don't," she whispered softly. She tried to compose herself. "I'm sorry, I know it's hard to fight me when I'm like this, but you mustn't hesitate. Anima is too strong…I can't escape him."

Brynhildr studied the woman in front of her, a look of pity on her face. "I didn't know that you were…aware. I thought that Anima had just twisted you to serve him…"

Madeen looked away, staring down at the ground regretfully. "No, we kept our minds. When he puts us into these bodies, he binds us to his will. We cannot ignore the whispers that echo through our beings. Some of us…" she looked, a flash of anger crossing her face, at Typhoon who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as Stiria and Nix closed in on him. "Some seem to enjoy the chance to fight and kill. I do not."

Typhoon turned towards Madeen at this, letting out another harsh cackle. "You're pathetic," he spat. "How a weakling like you has any power at all is a mystery to me." He turned back to Stiria and Nix, twirling his blades again and strengthening the gale swirling around him.

Madeen looked up at Brynhildr again but flinched in pain, grasping her head with both hands as if suffering a terrible headache. "Ugh…I'm sorry, I can't…" Brynhildr reached a hand out to her, but Madeen jumped back, falling to her knees and letting out an unearthly wail. Her body began to emanate a soft glow, and her eyes shone a bright white.

Typhoon turned to her again, and snickered. "About time."

XXXXX

Lightning and Barthandelus stood with their gunblades raised, eyes staring, and muscles tensed. Barthandelus did not infuse his weapon with energy, so Lightning didn't either, wanting to gauge the truth of his claims that he inherited Raines' skill with the weapon before she brought magic into play. She gazed intently at him, and after he slowly cracked a small smile. His eyes glinted, and she took the hint.

They both charged simultaneously, and their blades met in a shower of sparks and a ring of steel. The gunblades trembled against each other for a moment and quickly broke apart. Lightning took the offensive, working her gunblade furiously and driving Barthandelus back several paces. She guided her blade through several complex maneuvers of the Renzokuken form, but the aspect's claim appeared to be true. He parried every stroke easily, and eventually turned the fight around, sending Lightning back on her heels with his own Renzokuken attacks, all of which were executed flawlessly. A slight lull appeared in Barthandelus's attacks, and Lightning took the opportunity to disengage, flipping backwards away from him and squeezing off a shot, which was casually deflected.

"I trust that was an adequate enough display to prove my abilities to you. You don't have to hold back any more," Barthandelus said smugly. He resumed his battle stance, and his gunblade began to glow with white energy. Lightning mirrored his stance, and infused her blade with electricity. This time, there was no stare down. Lightning charged, and when their blades met she grit her teeth as the impact of the colliding energies sent waves of force and magic rolling over her. Despite the added distraction, Lightning was still able to perform the more advanced techniques of the Renzokuken style. She quickly found out that once again, Barthandelus was able to counter and mimic all of her attacks.

The ferocity of their duel increased as they neared the upper tier of Renzokuken forms. Lightning no longer had the luxury of deciding which to use, she merely reacted, letting the hardened soldier make the snap decisions that deterred Barthandelus's gunblade a split second before it would decapitate her. Her blade was halfway through its own offensive pushes before she even realized which attack she was using. After several minutes of this, she felt beads of sweat running down her face, and was granted some satisfaction when she noticed that Barthandelus was also working up a sweat. _At least his human form has some limitations_ she thought to herself.

Barthandelus broke into a flurry of attacks, pushing Lightning back on her heels. She was momentarily startled when her blade slashed through air before she realized that the aspect had backpedaled. A small smirk crossed his face before he swung his gunblade horizontally in front of him, releasing an arc of white energy from the slash. Lightning managed to bring her sword up to try and parry the crescent shaped projectile, but its force was more than she expected. She poured more energy into her weapon to prevent it from being sheared in half as she struggled against it, her feet sliding backwards trying to hold it off. Finally, with an almighty wrench she managed to fend off the attack, dissipating it as her gunblade split the crescent at the middle.

Barthandelus chuckled as Lightning panted heavily, having put a large amount of energy into defeating his attack. As she tried to catch her breath, the aspect took on a relaxed stance, as if mocking her, and raised his free hand. An orb of white energy formed in his palm and Lightning straightened up, readying herself to guard against his magic. No less than a dozen ruin spells erupted from the orb and shot towards her, immediately erasing any thought of trying to block them all. As they neared her, she performed a few quick back steps and flips to avoid most of them, the last three deflected on the flat of her gunblade. She could feel the energy from each of the attacks, and knew that if even one got a direct hit on her, she would be in trouble.

Several more ruin spells spewed forth from the orb in Barthandelus's hand, accompanied by renewed chuckles from the aspect as he added in a few shots from his gunblade. The bullets glanced off Lightning's weapon as she deflected them and dodged the first few ruins that came her way. The rest flew far over her head, and just as she was about to give thanks for Barthandelus's poor aim, her eyes widened in shock as she realized the true target of the spells. Ignoring the enemy facing her, Lightning turned around as a surge of fear tugged at her, tearing a strangled cry from her throat.

"Hope!"

XXXXX

The room rang out with the sound of steel on steel as Odin and Mateus fought viciously. The clamor was joined by the occasional blast of lightning from Odin or ice from Mateus, accompanied by vibrations of power as the spells struck the walls and floor as their intended targets barely avoided them. Despite Odin's size advantage, Mateus parried his attacks without backing down and matched his spells blow for blow. The aspect also had the advantage in terms of speed and agility, but between his shield and sword, Odin hadn't taken any direct hits yet.

Odin felt an upsurge of energy roll off Mateus and knew that he had to turn up the heat as well. He spun his sword staff, and it began to crackle with energy. He launched a thundaga spell as he charged, arcing it to the left to force Mateus to dodge right. She moved as expected, and he swung his blade, aiming to decapitate her. His aim was true but his sword came to a jarring halt, held at bay by one of Mateus's blades. The aspect was in the hook of Odin's curved blade, and the eidolon tried to overcome her resistance and complete the strike. He could not budge her however, and with a surge of energy from Mateus, a layer of ice began to cover his sword from the point where her own blade held it. Odin disengaged quickly, putting several feet between himself and the icy aspect.

Mateus crouched and stabbed one of her blades into the ground. Odin noticed a pained expression flash across her face, and that probably saved him. He was able to bring his shield to bare just in time as a huge icicle spear erupted from the floor in front of him, angled to skewer the eidolon through the chest. The icicle stabbed through Odin's shield, which quickly froze solid. Odin abandoned it, and it shattered when it hit the floor. As he watched Mateus pull her blade free from the floor and calmly walk towards him, he pulled his sword staff apart at the middle, wielding one side of it in each hand as Lightning did when they fought in gestalt together. He flipped the weapons in his hands and they sparked with power, ready to meet Mateus's next attack.

Still slowly walking towards him, Mateus pulsed with magic and several balls of energy formed over her shoulder. They formed into more icicle lances and hurled themselves at Odin. Mateus broke into a run and was close behind them.

XXXXX

Alexander and Hashmal were still exchanging heavy blows, and the room was still echoing violently from their attacks. As they both put more and more energy behind their attacks, the tempo of the fight picked up. Alexander was amazed that Hashmal had the endurance to withstand his attacks, and even more so from the force behind the aspects attacks when he was hit. They seemed to be more or less evenly matched, but Alexander had the size advantage, and that was giving him an edge.

Hashmal apparently realized this as well, and with a thrust of his palm, pushed off of the eidolon and backed away. Hashmal sighed and rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. He stomped on the ground, and a block of metal rose from the floor to his waist. "Bah, it's just not the same as real earth. But…" he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "I think I can use it to even this out a bit." He crouched down again, and the floor began to ripple. Alexander watched as more metal flowed onto Hashmal, and the aspect was soon engulfed in a ball of it, leaving a large, smooth crater in the floor where he had taken it from.

The metal shifted and gradually took a human shape, albeit one much larger than Hashmal's. When it was finished, Alexander found himself staring at a metal golem that stood even with him in size and, from what he could feel from the construct, power. As he studied the creature, a plate on its chest opened up to reveal Hashmal.

"This should make things more interesting," the aspect said. He grabbed the block of metal he had formed from the ground, and with more ripples, he pulled out a large bronze sword. The metal flowed back over Hashmal's face and the golem charged.

XXXXX

Madeen's chilling shriek drew the gazes of everyone to her, as she glowed and convulsed with energy. Typhoon smirked, noticing that Stiria and Nix were distracted, and charged at them. Nix snapped to attention in time to produce the wheel she fought with and blocked his scythe-like weapons. She held out her hand to steady the wheel as sparks flew from its spinning surface and the sound of Typhoon's weapons screeching across it filled the room. The aspect broke away to dodge a blizzara spell launched his way by Stiria.

The sisters regrouped as Typhoon pulled back, but their combined front did not seem to concern the cackling man. He ground the blades of his weapons together and another powerful wind kicked up behind him. He rushed forward again, this time spinning both of his weapons and loosing twin blasts of air at Stiria and Nix. The two managed to dodge the attacks, but by the time they recovered, Typhoon was upon them. Nix stepped in and started frantically fighting him off, barely able to keep up with his vicious flurry of attacks. After a few moments she was able to find a rhythm in his attacks and started fighting back, parrying his blades with her wrist armor and forcing him to dodge as she aimed devastating kicks his way. All the while, her wheel zipped around him, racing in to take advantage of any blind spots.

The cocky smile long gone from his face, Typhoon poured more energy into his weapons as the fight went on and intensifying the tornado that emanated from him. He began to push Nix again, but when Stiria began firing off blizzaga spells, Typhoon was forced to disengage.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Nix called to the aspect as he faced them. Stiria stood next to her, arms crossed.

Typhoon flashed another crazed smile. "I'm just warming up."

XXXXX

Brynhildr hefted her weapon into a ready stance as Madeen stopped screaming and stood. Her eyes were still bright white and the rest of her body was surrounded by a softer white glow. Out of the corner of her eye, the eidolon saw Typhoon engage Stiria and Nix, but she shut that out. Something told her that Madeen was done talking.

She held her hand out in front of her and with a white gleam, several white spikes of every shot out of it and hurtled towards Brynhildr. The eidolon shifted her axe to deflect the projectiles, which bounced pathetically off it. Brynhildr was slightly confused at the weakness of the attack, but realized the ploy when she shifted her weapon and saw that Madeen had used the blind spot created by her weapon to approach her. Madeen held a larger version of the energy spikes she had just used in her hand and thrust it a Brynhildr's chest. The eidolon tried to avoid it, but she winced as the lance of energy scraped across her side as she moved away. Brynhildr swung her axe, forcing Madeen to jump back, but stopped the weapon mid-swing and launched a bolt of fire at the aspect. The bolt struck Madeen with a small explosion, sending her smoking form sprawling across the floor. Brynhildr moved to capitalize on the successful hit, but a sharp pain in her shoulder caught her by surprise. Looking down, she saw another of Madeen's energy spikes lodged in her left shoulder and sending painful waves of energy down her arm. She rested her weapon on the ground and grabbed at the spike to pry it free, but it shattered at her touch.

Retrieving her weapon, she looked up in time to see Madeen getting to her feet. The attack had not done as much damage as Brynhildr thought it had, but the aspect had not escaped unscathed. She rolled her shoulder gently, and found that her left arm would not respond properly after Madeen's attack. Examining Madeen's injury, Brynhildr noticed apart from the scorch marks on her exposed skin, she was sporting a limp. Just as she began formulating a plan to use this to her advantage, Madeen closed her eyes and a pulse of energy rippled through the room. A flash of light later, Madeen looked in perfect health. She formed another energy lance and charged at Brynhildr.

_This may take a while _ the eidolon though as she readied her axe.

XXXXX

Snow, Serah, Sazh, and Bartholomew watched in amazement as the eidolons battled the mysterious people who they could only assume were l'Cie. While the others wore looks of trepidation, Snow looked on in frustration as Stiria and Nix fought without him. He clenched his fists angrily, slamming one into the wall next to him.

Sazh noticed this and the look on Snow's face. "Hey, you gotta calm down, hero. There's nothing we can do to help them right now, if you go out there you'll just end up getting in the way."

Serah put a hand on Snow's shoulder. "He's right, Snow. We have to let them handle this."

Snow tried to relax, letting his hands drop to his sides and gave Serah a small smile and a nod. Their words did not calm him, however. He looked back to Stiria and Nix fighting against their savage opponent, knowing he couldn't sit there and do nothing. He rubbed the spot on his arm where his l'Cie brand once was, cursing its absence and his own helplessness. _There has to be something I can do!_

XXXXX

Lightning turned and began running down the bridge after Barthandelus's ruin spells. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion to her. Hope had heard her cry, and turned around to see the spells closing in on him. From his meditative position, he didn't have the time to dodge the spells, and she could sense that his own power was still being drawn in by the crystal, rendering him unable to cast a powerful enough shell to block the ruins.

Lightning pushed her body to its limits, trying to reach Hope in time, but she knew that she would not be able to. Even fueled with magic as her muscles were, she could not get to him before Barthandelus's spells. She looked at Hope and their eyes met. _I can't lose him _she thought frantically as she continued running. _Not like this…there's still so much that I…_

From deep within herself, Lightning felt a sudden surge of energy, power that felt strangely familiar yet alien at the same time. Her heart quickened as it coursed through her, and although the sudden shock startled her, she embraced the energy and made use of it. She felt the air around her ripple with the power coming off of her and put on a burst of speed. A violet blur obscured her vision and the next thing she knew, she was standing over Hope. She saw his dumbfounded expression before she turned, bringing her gunblade to bear and letting her new energy flow into it. Barthandelus's spells dissipated feebly on her blade. She knew that these spells were the same strength as the last volley, but against the magic she had found they were weak.

Lightning looked down at herself, and noticed small crackles of purple electricity frequently bursting from her. The brand that had snaked itself partway down her arm was glowing brightly, its hue matching the purple that she associated with Kujata. Her gunblade was coated in a soft purple aura instead of the electricity she had expected, but she could tell that it surged with much more energy than she had ever been able to infuse in it.

"Impressive," Barthandelus said, snapping Lightning to attention as she looked up and realized that he was walking towards her. "It seems you've managed to find Kujata's true power. I didn't think you had it in you."

He seemed like was going to continue speaking, but Lightning had had enough of his endless speeches about her inferiority. With another burst of power, she instantly closed the gap between herself and Barthandelus, and was awarded deep satisfaction at the shocked look that flitted across his face as he barely managed to raise his gunblade to parry her attack. Not hesitating, Lightning pressed her attack, executing the highest tiers of Renzokuken abilities effortlessly, and with speed and power that she hadn't thought possible.

Barthandelus was taken aback by the ferocity of her attacks, and was desperately scrambling to keep up. He poured more energy into his weapon and tried to mount an offensive, but Lightning would not be denied. She pushed the aspect back on his heels and finally she broke through his defenses, scoring a heavy slash across his chest. She jumped back to avoid the spray of blood and launched a spell at him, intending create a gout of flame. Instead of fire though, the energy in her spell released itself as blast of purple lightning that slammed into Barthandelus and sheared through his body, sending him to ground in a smoking, bleeding, heap.

Lightning walked towards the prone form of Barthandelus, her gunblade pulsing angrily with power, intent on finishing him. Several feet away, she felt a slight ripple of power from the aspect, and had to jump several yards back to avoid a ruinga spell. She narrowed her eyes as the dome of energy created by the attack blocked her view of Barthandelus. When it cleared, he was struggling to get to his feet, leaning heavily on his weapon. He was panting heavily and splattering the ground with droplets of blood with every heave of his chest.

"You…are stronger…than I thought," he said through labored breaths. He managed to stand and bring his gunblade up in front of him, and Lightning felt a great tingle of energy as the weapon flared to life with power, a gray aura pulsing down its length. "But I am not done yet."

Lightning began pouring more energy into her own weapon as Barthandelus increased the flow into his. The energy building up in his weapon began to cause small flares of magic to escape from it. Bursts of energy would flit across the weapon and strike the floor around Barthandelus or rocket past the bridge and into the huge space around them. Occasionally, ruin spells would burst from it and fly aimlessly through the room, eventually combusting in air or upon contact with the bridge. Lightning matched the power, but kept her own weapon under control.

Barthandelus spun his weapon over and dropped into a ready stance. Lightning did the same, and after a few seconds of staring at each other, she put on a burst of speed and rushed to meet the aspect's challenge.

XXXXX

Hope tried to concentrate on filling the rest of the crystal as he felt the two colossal powers growing behind him. The magic in the room was nearly tangible to him, and he felt as if he was sitting in some viscous liquid as it pressed on him. The powers reached a crescendo, and despite his concentration, he turned to look when he felt them collide. What greeted him was an explosion of energy, and he nearly allowed the energy in the crystal to escape as the waves of power from Lightning and Barthandelus washed over him. He was unable to sense either of them through the torrents of magic, nor was he able to see them through the smoke that was kicked up. He forced himself to turn away and focus on finishing his own task, dreading the sight that might emerge from the smoke when it cleared.

XXXXX

Odin leaned back, wincing as another of Mateus's icicle spears launched itself at him and grazed the side of his jaw as he barely dodged it. He recovered in time to put a sword in line to deflect Mateus's double thrusts with her arm mounted blades, each coated with magic infused ice giving them an extra few feet in length and a deadlier edge. Almost as soon as the sound of her swords slamming into the flat of his blade rang out, Mateus had back flipped away from him, loosing a blast of icy magic at Odin. The eidolon knew that he could not dodge the attack in time, so he brought his sword to block it again. The spell hit the weapon, which instantly began to freeze. Odin pumped energy into the blade to try and save it, but he knew that the spell would consume his weapon once he cut the flow. Odin cast the weapon to the ground, not looking back as it froze completely.

As Mateus touched down, she immediately ran at Odin again, a steely glint reflecting off of her frozen blades. Odin again caught her blades on his remaining sword, this time using his free hand to cast a thundaga spell. The spell was a direct hit, sending Mateus sliding backwards, her body clenching up as the electricity raced through her. Odin pressed his advantage, raising his sword for the killing blow. The weapon was interrupted mid-swing, however, by a pillar of ice that erupted from the ground in front of the aspect to intercept it. As the pillar shattered, Mateus swung her blade at the eidolon's throat. Odin avoided losing his head, but the frozen weapon sliced one of his horns off. The curved golden metal clattered to the ground as Mateus recovered and disengaged.

Odin realized that the aspect apparently wanted to end the fight sooner rather than later when he felt a sudden upsurge of energy from her. Her blades were enveloped in energy, the tips sparking slightly with power. Odin energized his own weapon, preparing for another assault, but Mateus pointed her weapons to either side of herself. The blades suddenly elongated and plunged themselves into the walls, which instantly began to freeze over. The eidolon could do nothing as the entire room was covered in ice.

Mateus's swords returned to normal size and she cut off the flow of energy. Odin noticed her breath was visible as a fine mist as she exhaled, and while the cold didn't bother him, he knew that the altered environment would only make the aspect of ice stronger. As the thought crossed his mind, he felt a tingle of energy from behind him and shifted to the side just in time to avoid the icicle lance that had erupted from the ground angled to stab him through the back. As he expected, when he turned Mateus was rushing towards him. He fired another thundaga spell and moved to meet her charge, his sword crackling with energy.

Mateus, however, did not try to dodge the spell. She didn't even flinch as it rushed towards her, and Odin found out why when the thundaga dissipated before it hit her, apparently engulfed by the energy given off by the frozen room. Unable to adjust his course completely, Odin received a heavy slash to his right side. Additionally, the energy draining effect of the room seemed to also sap the power from his blade. When he caught Mateus's second weapon with his, the blade of Odin's drained sword was sheared neatly off at the point of contact.

Odin stared at the hilt and the few inches of blade that was still in his hand for several seconds before dropping it. Without a weapon or the ability to use spells, there didn't seem to be any way he was going to defeat the aspect. He turned to face Mateus, who was wearing a sorrowful smile again, also having come to the conclusion that Odin would not be able to win. She flicked her wrist and a blunt pillar of ice angled up from behind Odin and knocked him to his knees. Frost then crept over his legs, rooting him to the spot.

Mateus walked over to stand over Odin. A pained expression flitted across her face, and the eidolon could tell that she was trying to fight the compulsion to kill him. He used the time she spent hesitating to try and find a way out of his predicament, but none came to him. Out of the corner of his eye, however, the eidolon spotted something that gave him a bit of hope. The sword that Mateus's attack had frozen was lying within reach slightly behind him. The blade was frozen over, but the hilt was still graspable. _If the icy coating gave the weapon enough of an edge…_

Fixing his gaze on Mateus, he reached behind him and grasped the hilt of the frozen weapon. When Mateus lifted one of her weapons to decapitate him, Odin swung his sword at an upward angle. A slight resistance told him that he had struck his mark.

A muffled grunt escaped Mateus as a flash of blood erupted from the wound Odin had made, which ran from her bottom left hip to her top right shoulder. As she fell backwards, Odin noticed a slight smile on her face. She hit the floor and a great pillar of light blue energy blasted from her chest and through the ceiling. A moment later, the ice coating the room dissipated, as did that on Odin's legs and sword. The eidolon got to his feet, tentatively assessing his injuries. Realizing he was fit enough to continue on, he bowed his head in respect for Mateus and walked towards the door.

XXXXX

The impact tremors that Alexander and Hashmal had created before were nothing compared to those that ripped through the room after Hashmal encased himself in the thick metal that made up the ark. Alexander had to increase his power output to full strength to keep up with the aspect, and even then his punches didn't seem to be damaging Hashmal very much. On the other hand, the sword Hashmal had pulled from the floor was powerful enough to damage Alexander's armor. So far, the eidolon had managed to shrug off the strikes from the weapon, but he could tell his armor wasn't going to last much longer.

Alexander soon realized that Hashmal's armor was virtually impervious to physical attacks. Knowing he had no other choice, the eidolon closed his eyes and a pulse of energy emanated from him, rolling over Hashmal and causing him to hesitate from his attack. The two smallest ridges resting on Alexander's shoulders on either side of his head began to emit a slight glow. The rings at the tips vibrated slightly, then stood straight up and shattered. A high, clear note filled the air, followed quickly by a low rumbling. Hashmal looked around, perplexed, for the source of the noise. The rumbling grew louder by the second, and not wanting to wait to see what was about to happen, Hashmal charged at Alexander, sword raised.

Hashmal was nearly in striking distance of the eidolon, but he pulled up short when a great crash sounded from overhead. Two large, white pillars burst through the hull of the ark, showering the combatants in fragments of bronze metal as they crashed to the ground on either side of Alexander. The eidolon put a hand on each pillar, causing them to stir with energy as the parapets at the top began to spin. Hashmal was sent stumbling backwards by another heavy pulse of energy followed quickly by twin lasers fired from each of the pillars. The white hot beams drew jagged rents across the aspects improvised armor. Hashmal tried to recover from the attack and pounded towards Alexander, only to be stopped by another blast from the pillars. The aspect raised his sword to block the lasers, but was sent crashing to the floor when the first beam sheared his sword in half and the second sliced his arm off neatly at the elbow.

Alexander looked down at the aspect wrapped in metal, and felt a surge of sympathy for his situation. The eidolon knew he had to finish the job though, and gathered his energy for the final blow. "I'm sorry," he said regretfully.

The metal plate in from of Hashmal's face shifted, once again revealing his face. He wore a grim expression, and said with a tangible surge of energy, "So am I." The aspect pounded his remaining fist into the ground and the pillars next to Alexander toppled, pushed to the ground by blocks of metal that erupted from the ground, and interrupted the eidolon's attack. A stronger wave of energy came from Hashmal, and the metal hull of the ark again flowed like water at his call. Gaping holes dotted the walls as the structure of the room tricked away and converged on the broken golem containing the aspect. The golem rose to its feet as it was bolstered by the new metal, its from still writhing and twisting as the armor settled in. When it was finished, the golem's hide was nearly twice as thick, and it stood at least five feet taller than Alexander. Additionally, Hashmal discarded the broken sword, and instead formed heavy, flanged maces over his fists.

Before Alexander could react, the huge golem charged at him with absurd speed for something of its size, making the eidolon sure that its stride was somehow quickened by the aspect's magic. Alexander tried to brace himself, but the force of Hashmal's mace-fist thundering into his chest sent the massive eidolon crashing to the floor, a sizeable dent in his normally pristine armor. The eidolon was cut a break however, when he realized that Hashmal's attack had hurled him near one of his pillars. He pulled himself to his feet and put a hand on it, his pain somewhat alleviated by the rush of energy from its core. Alexander righted the pillar just as the tremors in the ground signaled to him that Hashmal was charging again. The eidolon pulled the pillar in line with the behemoth lumbering towards him and focused his energy into it. Hashmal swung both fists into the structure, and was put off balance when his maces clanged off its side, not even leaving a dent. Taking advantage of his momentary surprise, Alexander poured more energy into the pillar and fired another laser at the golem.

Despite being stronger than the previous attacks from the pillars, the laser did not piece the golem's strengthened armor. It did however unbalance the thing, and it stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground. Alexander focused again on the structure in front of him and used it to call to the one that was still on its side. The pillar called its twin, pulled it upright and over to Alexander. Realizing his enemy's strength, Alexander released another pulse of energy, and the next largest ridges on his shoulders began to glow. Their rings stood up and shattered like the last, releasing another crystal note. The telltale rumbling sounded, and another pair of pillars crashed through the hull of the ark to land beside Alexander, forming a square around him with the first two.

Hashmal stood up, noticing the new pillars, but paying them no heed. As he charged, the four of them began to glow and spin, releasing massive amounts of energy. When the golem got near enough to strike, a cloud of lasers burst from the front two pillars and slammed into the aspect, propelling him across the room to slam into the wall. Alexander took no notice of this, focusing more energy into the pillars, increasing the speed of their rotation and their output of power. As the spinning parapets became a blur, the tops of the pillars opened, releasing a beam of energy from each. The energy arced towards Alexander, who held out a hand to catch it. From the vortex of energy created as the energy met, a magnificent golden hilt emerged. The eidolon grasped it and the pillars immediately stopped, the energy they were giving off dissipating. A long silver blade sprouted from the hilt in Alexander's hand, white glowing runes inscribed along its length. As the sword finished forming, the four pillars flashed bright white and vanished.

Hashmal pulled himself out of the impact crater in he had made in the wall, and faced Alexander, seeing the new weapon in his hands. He also noted the absence of the pillars, and smacked his mace-fists together menacingly. He stomped his foot and the fragments of wall that littered the ground around him twisted, melted, and flowed onto his body and went to the maces, thickening and strengthening them. He smacked them together one more time and charged.

Alexander swung the sword through the air a few times, not moving to meet the golem's charge. He shifted it into a ready stance and a white glow shrouded the blade. Hashmal closed the distance quickly, and as he raised his fists to strike, Alexander took a step forward which seemed to carry him much farther than it should. He thrust his weapon, blazing with power, through the open arms of the golem. The sword pierced the Golem's thick armor like a hot knife through butter, piercing through its chest, the tip erupting from its back as its arms went limp. Alexander pulled the blade free, bracing his hand on the thing's shoulder to brace himself. He wordlessly backed away and it crumpled to its knees. The golem's torso bent backward on top of its legs, the shredded metal plate sliding aside to reveal Hashmal with a grievous wound.

The earth aspect said nothing, and Alexander stood silently as a contented smile crossed Hashmal's face. A burst of golden energy blasted free from the man's chest. His body became crystal and quickly dissolved, leaving only the wrecked, hollow golem behind.

XXXXX

Despite their heavy forms, Stiria and Nix had to brace themselves against the hurricane force gale that Typhoon had stirred up. Despite the force of the winds, the two eidolons could still hear the man's taunts and cackles of glee. The glint of his weapons was all the warning they received before he came at them, his tangled mane billowing wildly as he rode the currents of his own wind towards them.

Stiria fired a blizzaga spell at the aspect as he drew nearer, but the spell veered off course, unable to penetrate the chaotic storm enveloping the man. Nix met his charge in a shower of sparks as his scythes skated off her armor. Unable to control her wheel in the face of Typhoon's wind, she tossed the weapon to her sister and aimed a snap kick at the aspect, scoring a heavy blow on his abdomen. As the man doubled over slightly, Nix did a graceful back flip, catching Typhoon with another kick squarely on his jaw. As she landed, the eidolon coated her armor with a layer of ice to strengthen her offense and defense, but also to help maintain her footing in the gale. Nix had noticed that the storm was even stronger when she was within melee distance of Typhoon.

Typhoon rubbed his jaw and gave her a cocky grin before he engaged her again, his scythes flashing. The sparks were replaced by flecks of ice as she parried his attacks, but her armor held. Their erratic clash dragged on, and Nix scored several more hits, but did not inflict any lasting damage. She knew that the gust surrounding the aspect was softening her blows, but she didn't see a way to get through it. Stiria couldn't land any spells through gale either, which was evident through the occasional flash of a blizzard spell being blown off course or dissipated by the wall of air.

Typhoon executed a flurry of slashes that had Nix on the defensive, ending the assault with a heavy strike that clattered against Nix's frozen bracers. The aspect put pressure into the attack, grinding it against her armor, and the eidolon found herself face to face with the man as she gritted her teeth and pushed back. He flashed another cocky grin and whispered to her over the wind "I think it's time to end this." A ball of air coalesced in between them, and Nix glanced down at it with widened eyes, startled by the amount of energy in the seemingly small spell. The ball of wind burst and hit Nix like an anvil, shattering her ice armor and sending her to crash into the wall with a sickening crack.

Nix rose shakily to her knees, unable to stand up as Typhoon neared her and the force of the gale surrounding him hit her. He raised one of his scythes, and Nix could see the air swirling around the blade, knowing that he was aiming to kill. Before he could bring the weapon down on her however, his eyes widened and he lurched forward, a flash of blood splattered the ground behind him. The gale around him subsided for a moment, giving Nix time to put distance between herself and the murderous aspect.

Regrouping with her sister, Nix noticed the wheel she had tossed to Stiria, sporting a frozen edge resembling a saw blade. The weapon floated idly over the eidolon's palm, several of its spikes coated in Typhoon's blood. "Thanks," she said, as she stood hunched over, panting and trying to shake off the pain from the aspect's last attack.

"No problem," her sister replied as Nix regained her composure and stood up. "Let's finish this bastard." The two of them both raised their hands and pooled their energy into the wheel, which began to spin and crackle with energy. Sharing a quick glance, the sisters pressed the attack, the weapon racing towards Typhoon, who was still on his knees with his back to them. The wheel sped towards his neck looking for a clean kill, but stopped suddenly as it closed in on him. His shoulders heaving, Typhoon rose, his hair beginning to blow again as he kicked up another wind. He turned around and held his hand up to the wheel, which seemed to be struggled against some unseen force. A rush of magic emanated from the aspect as he clenched his hand and a visible blast of wind struck the spinning wheel, shattering its icy enhancements. Another blast sent the wheel tumbling to the ground to roll over feebly over to Stiria and Nix.

His psychotic glee replaced by seething rage, Typhoon discarded his scythes, which clattered the ground at his feet. "Time to die," he spat, and a visible vortex of wind rose up around him. He was still bleeding freely from his wound, and the tornado was soon flecked with scarlet as his blood intermingled with the ferocious magic-driven wind. Stiria and Nix braced themselves, waiting for his attack, and the aspect obliged. He thrust his arm towards them, and the gale rushed towards them. The two felt strong slivers of magic within the hurricane, and saw that the wind was leaving long and deep gouges in the walls, floor, and ceiling as it blew towards them. They leapt aside as it reached them, and a vicious rent ripped the ground where they had just been.

The magic and blood filled storm tore apart the room, tearing sizeable chunks from the walls around them. The sisters barely managed to move out of the way as a huge part of the ceiling collapsed above them. They took cover behind the chunk of debris to weather the onslaught, trying to come up with a way to deal with the psychotic aspect.

XXXXX

Snow and the others winced as the facility shook with the force of Typhoon's attack. They had retreated around a corner when the battle had intensified, much to Snow's annoyance. Serah already had to pull him away from the corner around which he was sticking his head to see the fight four times since they had moved. His wife now had him in a tight grip sitting against the wall, knowing him well enough to know he would not be able to stay put without being restrained.

"Snow, please just stay put. Sazh is right, we would only get in the way if we tried to help them," she whispered to him pleadingly.

Snow sighed heavily, looking down at his petite wife with a determined smile. "I won't let anything happen to you," he murmured, drawing a confused expression from Serah. He kissed her deeply before she could ask him to elaborate. After a few moments, she relaxed her grip on the man, and was startled when she felt his body flex. Snow broke the kiss and jumped to his feet, giving Serah one last fleeting look before he charged around the corner towards the fight.

"Snow!" she shouted, but as he ran down the corridor into Typhoon's storm, her call did not reach him.

XXXXX

Stiria and Nix crouched lower behind their cover as another blade in Typhoon's storm cut the chunk of ceiling shorter. "He's gotta run out of energy sometime!" Nix shouted to her sister over the gale.

"That's not necessarily true," Stiria replied. "He's probably using the air around him for the hurricane, so he's using a lot less energy just to manipulate it instead of creating it. And his blood is mingled with the tornado, so I think that might be what's creating the blade effect. For the magnitude of the attack, it's taking an extraordinarily small amount of energy. He could probably keep it up for hours."

"So how are we gonna beat him?" Nix demanded, taking a look around their cover and quickly pulling her had back as another air blade struck the rock next to her.

"I don't…." Stiria began, but her voice caught in her throat, seemingly interrupted by something. Nix looked over at her with a questioning look, to find a surprised expression on her face. Curious, the eidolon followed her sister's gaze and saw Snow sprinting towards them, leaping, ducking, and rolling to avoid the flurry of blades in the tornado around him. The sisters sat in silence for several tense moments as Snow made his way towards them, only daring to release their breaths as the man ducked behind the chunk of debris, situating himself between them. He flashed a confident grin to the sisters as he caught his breath.

"Hey guys," he said after he had stopped panting. "Thought you could use some help."

"Snow, what the hell are you doing here?" Nix shouted at him, an anxious look on her face.

Snow dropped his smile and replaced it with a determined look that the eidolons knew well. "I can't sit around and let you two fight without me."

"But Snow," Stiria began, trying to find a delicate way to phrase her words, "you don't have powers anymore…a normal human doesn't stand a chance against someone like Typhoon…"

"We can use gestalt mode," the man countered matter-of-factly.

"I don't even think that's possible," Nix protested, looking at the man with a confused expression.

"I know it's possible," Snow replied adamantly. "When I first saw you guys a little while ago, I could still feel the connection we had…it's faint but it's still there, like a slight breeze against the back of my neck. We have to try, gestalt mode is the only way we can beat this guy."

"No," Stiria said. "It is possible to use gestalt mode, Snow, but you don't have access to your power anymore. Normally in gestalt, our attacks used a combination of our energy and your own, making them very powerful. But if you have no magical energy to provide…the connection will draw upon your life force instead. If could kill you if we used up too much of it."

Snow seemed slightly taken aback by this, but shook the feeling off. "And if we do nothing, we'll all die anyway," the man said, cracking his knuckles. I don't think we have much of a choice."

Stiria looked down at Snow's determined look for several moments, eyes filled with worry. Finally, she relented. "…You're right. It's the only way…"

"Alright ladies, let's do this!" he pumped a fist into the air, and the two eidolons reluctantly began to transform. Noticing the looks of concern on both of their faces as their bodies interlocked to form a motorcycle, he winked and gave them a thumbs up. "Don't worry, the hero doesn't die in the middle of the story." The vehicle complete, Snow swung a leg over and sat down, revving the engine and feeling a familiar tingling sensation as he felt the eidolon's power fully for the first time in six years.

Typhoon's hurricane showed no signs of letting up, so Snow turned his bike, preparing to ride right into the eye of the storm where he knew the enemy was waiting. He rode forward, and created an ice path over the debris they had been using for cover. As the spell was released, Snow felt his heart flutter momentarily along with a sudden feeling of fatigue. He shook the feeling off and rode the path up and over, extending it across the room and swerving and turning to avoid the blades of energy within the vortex of wind. Extending the ice path and putting on a burst of speed hit Snow with another discomforting wave of fatigue, but he again ignored it. Typhoon had apparently noticed him now and wore a perplexed expression.

"What?" the aspect stammered as Snow rode past him, buffeting him with icy energy. Snow began spinning the motorcycle and kicking up an intense amount of power. Typhoon turned to attack him, but the energy solidified around him as Snow completed the diamond dust attack. The mountain of ice enveloped Typhoon and soon shattered, revealing the man frozen in a block of ice. The hurricane died down and quickly subsided. The bike came to a stop, and Snow leaned over the side, gripping his chest and gasping for breath.

Serah and the others came running around the corner after the storm stopped, Serah letting out a shriek as she saw Snow. She ran towards him, Sazh and Bartholomew close behind her. Snow fell to his knees off the bike, and Stiria and Nix reemerged, crouching over him. Serah reached him, and he looked up at her dazedly and flashed a smile. "Piece of…cake," he said before passing out.

"Snow!" she yelled, shaking the man but eliciting no response.

Sazh knelt at his other side and put two fingers on his neck, holding them there for several seconds. He looked up, a blank expression on his face. "There's no pulse," he said quietly.

XXXXX

Brynhildr fired another couple of fireballs out of her axe, unable to swing it with full strength due to her injured arm. Madeen easily dodged the attacks, retaliating with more volleys of white spikes. The eidolon managed to block all but once, trying to ignore the stab of pain as the stray shot struck her above the left knee.

The aspect closed in and Brynhildr was forced to drop her weapon in order to dodge the woman's fierce thrusts. The eidolon could feel the heat and power rolling off of Madeen's energy lance as it passed centimeters from her head. Brynhildr launched a burst of flame at the aspect at point blank range. The spell caught Madeen and she once again went tumbling to the ground.

Not missing a beat, Brynhildr ran forward, scooping up her axe along the way and filling it with fiery energy. She brought it down in as heavy a swing as she could with only one good arm. She braced for the impact, but the weapon did not strike through a soft target. It didn't even crash into the ground. Brynhildr tried to heft the weapon away, but found it to be stuck. Looking past the edge, she saw Madeen holding it with one hand, her body glowing more fiercely then before, her injuries from the eidolon's last attack already gone.

The aspect thrust her lance at the eidolon's abdomen, but Brynhildr let go of her weapon and leapt back, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack. She threw another spell at Madeen, but the aspect blocked it with the eidolon's own axe. Madeen lifted the axe in front of her, the weapon much too large for the small woman. She severed the axe head with her lance, tossing the hilt aside. Throwing a spiteful look at Brynhildr, she plunged her spear into the center of the axe head, shattering the weapon into several pieces.

A series of rumbles and cracks distracted both combatants, and they turned to see a fierce hurricane that Typhoon had created, tearing great gashes in the floor and ceiling. Not thinking Stiria and Nix's position could be any worse than her own, Brynhildr put the scene out of her mind.

Her weapon destroyed, the eidolon's only chance seemed to be with magic. So far, her spells hadn't done enough damage to prevent Madeen from simply healing herself. Brynhildr would have to use all of the power she had left in one spell if she was to have any chance.

Madeen swiped a hand through the air, hurling half a dozen energy spikes at the eidolon. Brynhildr dodged them, and predictably, Madeen had used the distraction to begin closing the distance between them. Brynhildr gathered the last remnants of her strength, focusing all of it in her good hand. Madeen drew closer, shifting her arm back to thrust her spear. At this movement, Brynhildr released a tremendous burst of fire at the aspect. A blinding flash came from Madeen's empty hand and a white disc appeared in her palm, rapidly growing. By the time the spell reached her, the disc was large enough to block the flames. The edges of the disc pushed forward and formed a bubble, containing the raging fire of Brynhildr's spell. As it closed, the bubble began to steadily shrink, until it winked out of existence, taking the eidolon's last hope with it.

Her energy drained, Brynhildr could not retaliate as Madeen appeared before her, stabbing her lance down through the eidolon's leg, above the knee, and driving her to the grounds. The aspect drove the lance into the floor, pinning Brynhildr to on one knee and created another large energy spike. Madeen slowly dragged the new lance across Brynhildr's chest, leaving a shallow but painful wound. She held the point of the lance mere inches from the eidolon's face.

_So this is how it ends_ the eidolon thought to herself. She looked up at the aspect, determined to die with dignity, and saw a tortured expression on the woman's face, her eyes no longer glowing. She was gritting her teeth, her eyes closed as if she was fighting some titanic inner struggle, and Brynhildr figured that she was attempting to resist Anima's compulsions. The lance tip in her face began to shake as Madeen fought the invisible force's control over her body. Her foot shifted forward shakily, and the lance tip was nearly close enough to singe the eidolon right between the eyes. Brynhildr stared up at the conflicted aspect, momentarily curious when the sound of ice shattering reached her ears, but she again pushed the sound of her companions' fight aside. She knelt there, waiting for the tip of Madeen's lance to be driven home.

XXXXX

Hot tears slid down Serah's face, several of them dripping onto the prone form of her husband, who was still showing no signs of life. Serah cradled Snow's head in her lap, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs.

Sazh was standing to the side, silently grieving for his friend. After a few moments, he looked up and searched for his eidolon, hearing a roaring fire, but Brynhildr was not visible. Typhoon's tornado had collapsed a large portion of the ceiling, some of which was apparently blocking Brynhildr and her opponent from view. All that was visible from where he was standing was a soft light shining through gaps at the top of the barricade.

Stiria and Nix knelt beside Serah, each with a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort the woman. The two eidolons were almost as devastated as she was over Snow's fate. Nix was visibly crying, her tears freezing as they rolled down her cheeks, hitting the floor as tiny crystals of ice.

Distraught by grief as they were, none of them heard as fine cracks spider webbed across the block of ice holding Typhoon. Sections of the frozen prison broke off and shattered on the floor, and after several minutes, the aspect was free, shaking off the biting cold that had crept into his body. Looking around, he saw the eidolons huddled on the floor over a dead human being held by another one, the two others standing to the side. An evil grin crept over his face and he stalked silently towards them, retrieving one of his scythes along the way.

Serah looked up and saw Typhoon, letting out a gasp, drawing the gazes of Stiria and Nix to the aspect. They both stood, shock evident on their faces.

The aspect loosed a harsh cackle. "You thought a pathetic attack like that could kill me?" he spat, his blade glinted as he slashed it through the air. "The two of you know you can't kill me, but I did have fun fighting you. In return, I will let you choose the order in which your humans die."

Stiria and Nix exchanged glances. "We won't let you touch them," Nix said defensively as she dropped into a fighting stance. Sazh and Bartholomew stood behind Serah, tensing up at Typhoon's words. Serah was trying and failing to stifle her sobs. Typhoon sneered with contempt at the woman.

"If you will not choose, than I think I will start with the woman." He ran his finger over his scythe as a wind kicked up around him. Before he could make another move, however, he jerked violently as a bright white spike erupted from his chest. He turned his head to face his attacker, and found himself staring at Madeen.

His eyes narrowed in hatred as he looked at the woman. "You…bitch…" he stammered out, and jerked violently again as Madeen tore her lance free, the weapon dissipating in her hand. Typhoon fell forward and Madeen walked past him, not looking back as a pillar of jade green energy burst from his corpse.

Brynhildr appeared around the corner, looking worse for the wear, but still alive. She limped along behind the aspect towards the others.

"Madeen?" Stiria gasped, staring at the aspect with incredulity. "But…"

"I am sorry for the trouble that we have caused you," the woman whispered softly as she looked down at the body of Snow, still held by his sobbing wife. "Senseless death…" she murmured. "But it is not time for this one to pass yet."

She knelt down over Snow and placed a hand on his chest, her body beginning to glow again. Serah looked up at her, not understanding what was going on. A blinding light filled the room, causing the others to look away and shield their eyes. When the flash subsided, Madeen stood up and took a few steps back. After a moment, Snow's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey…guys," he mumbled as he sat up, rubbing his head. "What's goin' on?" He grunted as Serah leapt into his arms and wrapped him in a tight embrace, sobbing harder than ever into his chest. He embraced her and looked up at Madeen with a puzzled look.

"That is all I can do for you," she told them. "I can only break Anima's control for a short time." She looked around at them with a genuine smile. "The rest is up to you and your friends. Bring balance back to this broken world. I know that you can." She closed her eyes and a pillar of white light was released from her chest and her body fell apart as it was left behind.

Brynhildr limped over to Stiria and Nix, both of whom winced as they saw the extent of the eidolon's injuries. Nix offered Brynhildr an arm to lean on, which she gratefull accepted.

Stiria turned to the others. "I think it's time to go."

XXXXX

As Alexander composed himself and hefted his sword over his shoulder, Odin entered from the other room, battered but looking well enough to be getting on with. Alexander gave his companion a look over, noting his heavy injuries. "You certainly took a beating old friend," the eidolon rumbled with a slight chuckle.

Odin waved him off and likewise studied Alexander, noting the large sword and missing rings on his shoulders. "Four pillars? Anima's servants are becoming stronger much quicker than I expected."

"Indeed," Alexander replied. He turned towards the door that Hope and Lightning had taken. "It doesn't seem as if they have disrupted the core yet, and there can't be much time left. We'd better hurry."

XXXXX

Hope forced himself to concentrate on filling the crystal, but he was finding it exceedingly difficult not to dwell on Lightning's fate as the minutes dragged on. Finally, he felt that the crystal was full, and stood up, seeing the small object glowing brightly. He pointed it up at the core and willed it to release its pent up energy. A beam of brilliant multicolored light shot towards the core, and when it connected, Hope felt a massive wave of unstable energy wash over him. The core began to shift colors much faster and the room started shaking violently.

When the crystal was spent, it shattered in his hand and the core stopped and turned black. It pulsed heavily, and the surface was disrupted by swells of erratic energy. Several of them seemed to pop, sending jagged bolts of energy in many directions, tearing ragged rents in the room. His job done, Hope turned and began pounding down the bridge, straining his eyes through the nearly dissipated smoke. He saw a body and rushed towards it, and found himself looking down at Raines, a bloody wound across his chest and a broken gunblade at his side. The aspect was unconscious, so Hope paid him no further mind, looking around frantically for Lightning.

He spotted her several feet away, seemingly unconscious with her still intact weapon next to her. She bore several injuries, but from Hope could tell, none of the visible ones were fatal. He ran to her and threw himself down at her side. He raised a hand over her chest and began a healing spell. With the other, Hope put a hand on her shoulder and began to shake her, trying to wake her up.

"Light! Light!" he called, his voice breaking slightly as he shook her. He could that she was still alive, but his spell seemed to be making slow progress. He brushed hair out of her face and rested his hand on her cheek. "Light…please wake up…" he whispered.

After another minute, Hope saw her eyes flutter open and she looked up at him with an odd expression. "I thought I told you," she began as she sat up, "to call me Claire."

Hope stared at her dumbfounded for several moments before crushing her in a tight embrace, letting out a strangled laugh. "Hey, hey, I'm still a little sore, take it easy." She halfheartedly fought his grip, and he backed away. Lightning glanced over at the damaged core and back to Hope. "Looks like you…" was all that she managed to say before Hope kissed her deeply, and she eagerly returned the gesture. The two lost themselves in each other and an indeterminate amount of time passed until they were interrupted by a cold voice.

"How touching," it said to them as it was followed by footsteps across the bridge. Hope and Lightning looked over to see a dark haired man in a suit walking towards them. Hope couldn't put a finger on it, but the stranger seemed vaguely familiar to him. As his features grew more distinct as he neared them, Hope was sure that he had seen the man before.

"Who are you?" he asked him. "I've seen you before…"

The man cocked an eyebrow at Hope's declaration, then laughed to himself. "You must mean you've met this human before," he said, gesturing to himself. "I believe this shell's name is something like…Rufus."

Hope's eyes widened. "The councilman?" He narrowed his eyes at the man. "If he's your 'shell' then who are you?"

"I am Zalera, the aspect of darkness," he said, dropping into an exaggerated bow. "You've most likely heard of me."

Lightning and Hope stiffened as Zalera introduced himself. Hope's mind reeled. _If this guy really is Zalera, that means he's Anima's strongest follower._ He glanced at Lightning, and by the look on her face, he could tell that she had realized the same thing.

Zalera continued towards them, gazing up at the pulsing core, tsk-tsking as he studied it. "Such a waste," he said to them regretfully. "I had been looking forward to seeing what this thing could do after we destroyed Cocoon. Ah well, I suppose you can't have everything." Hope opened his mouth to speak, but he felt a sudden pulse of energy from the man, and he had vanished. He looked quickly around for him, locating him floating in the air in front of the core. He and Lightning took several steps back, wondering how the man could move so quickly and apparently fly.

As they sorted out the mystery, another surge of power rolled off of the aspect and he plunged his arm into the blackened core, which began to seethe even harder. The crackling storm of energy rolling off of the thing intensified.

"What is he doing?" Lightning asked aloud, turning to Hope, but Hope had not heard her. In the instant that he had reached into the core, Hope had sensed the aspect's power. The dark pit of energy that the man possessed was unlike anything he had ever felt. Zalera withdrew his arm from the core and landed lightly in front of them.

"You've forced me to detonate the core in order to shatter Cocoon, but you can make it up to me. The two of you possess something that I want," he said with a smile.

Hope reached for his own power and released a firaga at the aspect, but by the time the spell had left his hand, Zalera was gone. He appeared in front of Hope with a burst of black light. "You'll have to do better than that," he whispered to Hope before punching him hard in the stomach. Hope doubled over and was launched down the bridge with a ball of black energy before he hit the ground.

By the time this had happened, Lightning had drawn her gunblade and swung, the weapon coated again in the aura of purple energy. Zalera caught the blade between his thumb and forefinger in mid swing, his hand bathed seething black energy.

He raised an eyebrow as he watched Lightning struggle to free her weapon. "So, you've bonded with Kujata. I didn't think it was possible for a host to full bond with an aspect and not die. I'm afraid you're still no match for me though." He tore the weapon from her hand and hurled it down the bridge to land point down several inches from Hope's head. Lightning loosed a blast of purple electricity at the man, but he held out his hand and drew the energy into his palm. He clapped his palms together and chuckled.

"That was rather impressive," he said to her. He vanished again, and Lightning was unable to follow his movement. He reappeared in front of her and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. He pulled a small crystal from his belt and held it up to her face. "Do you know what this is?"

XXXXX

As Lightning's gunblade embedded itself in the ground next to him, Hope groggily sat up and attempted to make his head stop spinning. A crash from behind him caught his attention and he turned to see Alexander and Odin entering the room.

"Hope," Alexander said as they drew level with him. The eidolon helped Hope to his feet and the young man immediately turned to Lightning, the color draining from his face as he saw that Zalera had her by the throat. He sprinted off towards her.

"That's…" Alexander began as he recognized the energy coming off of the man holding Lightning.

"Zalera…" Odin finished.

XXXXX

"This is the crystal that Anima created to house Kujata. Unfortunately, the meddlesome Menhirrim didn't give us a chance to use it. I'm here to rectify that." He touched the crystal to the heart of Lightning's brand and her body was engulfed in a violet aura. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as her eyes glowed to match her brand. Zalera drew the crystal back, leaving a tendril of purple energy connecting it to Lightning's brand.

"Claire!" Hope shouted as he approached them, firing a thundaga spell at Zalera. The aspect turned to him with an annoyed look and casually deflected the spell with a flick of his wrist. He quickly followed that with a bolt of dark energy that caught Hope in the leg, sending him stumbling to the ground. Hope struggled to get up as he felt the footsteps of the eidolons coming up behind him.

Alexander again pulled Hope to his feet, and they joined Odin as he ran past them towards Zalera. The aspect rebuked the three of them with another blast of energy. Hope looked up and saw the last of the purple aura leave Lightning. Zalera pocketed the crystal and nonchalantly tossed Lightning to the ground. Hope ran to her and pulled her upright, shaking her harshly.

"Claire!"

She looked at him weakly. "Ho…pe," she whispered. Her body seized up in his arms, and Hope watched in horror as a layer of crystal ran up her legs. He looked down at her, a single tear rolling down his cheek to land on hers. The crystal enveloped her completely, engulfing her once more in crystal stasis.

Zalera turned to Hope, but was taken by surprise when he was grabbed from behind. A white orb formed in the hand of his assailant, and Zalera recognized it as Barthandelus's power. The ruin spell hit him full in the face, but the aspect shrugged it off. He released a wave of dark energy that knocked Barthandelus away, and turned to face him.

"You're pathetic," he spat, staring at the aspect with hatred. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you to handle this." Barthandelus charged another attack, but Zalera launched a bolt of energy at him, the attack dropping the aspect to his knees. Zalera stood over the man. "I'm going to enjoy this," he said. His hand seethed with darkness and he plunged it into Barthandelus's chest, and hurled him to the ground. A blast of grey energy escaped his body. Zalera brushed himself off and turned to Hope.

"Your turn boy," Zalera said as he drew another crystal. Alexander and Odin stepped over him and blocked the aspect.

"You are…the Menhirrim?" He laughed harshly. "So you were their eidolons all along…clever. Very clever…We never suspected a thing. But you must know that you cannot stop me." He took another step forward, but the room gave an almighty lurch as the unstable core reached a critical level. Alexander took his chance and swung his blade at the aspect, cleaving a heavy slash across the man's chest, causing him to stagger back and fall off the edge of the bridge.

"We have to get out of here!" Odin shouted to him. Alexander tried to grab Hope, but he would not let go of Lightning's crystallized form.

"Hope," the eidolon called to him. "We have to go, now!" Hope did not listen, still clinging to Lightning. Alexander gave up, and hefted Lightning into his arms, gathering Hope up in the process. Odin stepped to the edge and pointed down to a hole that had been ripped in the hull by a blast from the core.

"Down there!" he yelled, and the eidolon jumped towards the opening. Alexander, carrying the sleeping Lightning and the unresponsive Hope, followed.

XXXXX

Some time later, Zalera was walking briskly through the Pulse Vestige that was Anima's prison. He entered a wide room with a dome, which began to shift and open to reveal the sealed l'Cie. The aspect walked up to him and pulled out the purple crystal, setting it into a small indent on the floor beneath Anima. Eleven other indents were in the ground, ten of them filled with glowing crystals, the other empty.

"Cocoon was destroyed," he reported, bowing. "However, the hosts of Kujata and Eden had damaged the core by the time I got there. I was forced to detonate it and the ark to do so." He gestured at the purple crystal. "But, as you can see, I managed to extract Kujata."

"And Eden?" Anima asked, his voice echoing strangely through the room.

"Eden escaped with the Menhirrim. It seems they were posing as the l'Cie's eidolons six years ago," Zalera replied.

"I see. No matter, we are nearly there. Once we collect Eden, I will be able to free my self from this cursed prison," Anima said. "Do you have any ideas on how to track the boy down?"

Zalera smiled. "I do. I think it may be time to bring in some…assistance."

"Hmmm. Do you think you can control them? It's been quite a long time," Anima responded thoughtfully.

"Well enough to accomplish our goals, I think," Zalera said.

"Very well, I will send the call."

"Oh, one more thing." Zalera said, turning back to Anima after he had begun to walk away. "What of the rest of the humans?"

"They have served their purpose," Anima told him. "Do with them what you will."

Zalera bowed again and left the room, his cold, high laugh echoing through the vestige.

XXXXX

**I tried to make the scenes as easy to follow as I could, but I don't know how well I accomplished that.**

**I didn't give a blow for blow account of Barthandelus X Lightning because I read R.A. Salvatore, and when Drizzt is fighting someone, he gets pretty detailed and it's usually difficult to follow the scene. I figured it would be best left to your imaginations.**

**Message me if you see any glaring mistakes, I kinda skimmed over it after I was done, I wanted to get this thing posted already and I didn't want to read through all 28 pages.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hope only ever had fleeting memories of how he ended up back at the Menhirrim's ark. He had vague images of plummeting several hundred feet from the exploding ark, riding on Alexander's shoulder and staring down at the crystal body of Lightning that the eidolon cradled in his arms. They had landed and he remembered Alexander and Odin running to get clear of Cocoon as the ark collided with it, loosing a tremendous wave of energy. But Hope cared little about any of that. The woman he loved was locked in crystal stasis because he hadn't been strong enough to protect her. He didn't even look back as the place that had once been his home shattered. His eyes never left Lightning's as millions of shards of crystal rained down around them.

The hum of the eidolons' airship soon reached them, and they looked up to see the ship descending towards them. The hatch opened to reveal Serah, Snow, Sazh, father, and several other members of Snow's gang. It seems that the others picked them up, along with Zack and Dajh, on their way out of the city. Hope had felt none of the elation he had expected to feel at this reunion; he hadn't even been able to summon enough feeling to be happy when his father had hugged him. All of them had cheered and called his name, but their thoughts of a happy reunion were soon shattered into as many pieces as Cocoon when they saw Lightning in crystal stasis. Alexander had taken Lightning aboard the ship, and Hope had sat down next to her, gripping her unfeeling hand as Odin had explained to them what had happened. The others of course didn't know anything about much of what the eidolon said, but Stiria had silenced their questions, promising them that they would explain the situation to them back at the ark. Hope had been grateful for this; he didn't want to have to sit through another Pulse history lesson and be reminded how close Anima was to accomplishing his goals. Lightning's frozen face staring up at him was enough of a reminder of how he had failed her, the Menhirrim, and the rest of the people that lived on Gran Pulse.

Hope now sat against the wall in a small room of the ark where Alexander had put Lightning. They had been back for a few hours, and Hope had not moved since then, nor said a word to anyone. He assumed that the others were settling in and getting some answers from the eidolon, so Hope knew that he would have at least a little more peace. He dreaded having to face them all. He knew that they wouldn't blame him for any of what had happened, but he would rather face their anger than their pity and attempts to comfort him. Lightning may not be dead, but she may as well have been. There was no way to tell if and when she would wake up from her stasis.

Hope looked down at her, and though fresh waves of grief assailed him, he did not shed a tear. His insides felt too numb to cry, and he rubbed his thumb across the only tear that he had let slip when Lightning was being crystallized. It remained as a small lump on her cheek, frozen by the crystallization. He studied her, and couldn't help but notice that she looked peaceful. He hated to think it, but he envied her. He was alone now, alone to finish the job they were tasked with, to stop Anima from taking over Pulse. Every time he thought about what he still had to do, he remembered the glimpse he had gotten of Zalera's power, a bottomless pit of black energy. Hope knew he couldn't defeat the man, knew he couldn't hold a candle to him in terms of power. Every time he remembered it, a cold pit formed in his stomach. There was no way he could defeat the aspect of darkness.

He sighed heavily, trying in vain to shake the thoughts from his mind. He knew that if Lightning was still with him, it wouldn't have gotten to him. No matter what they were up against, Hope knew he would be able to face it with confidence if he had Lightning at his side. He could already feel his resolve ebbing away in her absence. He closed his eyes, trying again to will his dark thoughts away, but again he failed. For the first time in six years, Hope wanted more than anything to give up.

XXXXX

As expected, the others came to visit Hope after another hour or so. Hope was surprised, however, when they came in one by one to see him through the course of the day. He was beyond grateful for this; Hope didn't think he could handle all of them trying to give him a pep talk at once, nor did he think he could endure their attempts to cheer him up one after the other. His father came in first, and Hope sighed, trying to pull himself together as much as he could.

"Hope," his father said as he stood over his son. Hope did not stand or remove his hand from Lightning's, but looked up at Bartholomew and saw the pity etched in his expression. He saw his father glance towards Lightning, noticing Hope holding her hand. He sighed and averted his eyes, not wanting to be felt sorry for. Bartholomew anxiously cleaned his glasses on his shirt, and then sat down against the wall next to his son.

"I know what you're going through…" his father said tentatively, and Hope turned to him with a blank expression. "When I found out that your mother died…I felt like I had lost a part of myself, like I had no reason to go on…but I had to be strong for you." Hope looked away again, back towards Lightning, and his father continued speaking. "When other people depend on you, you have to keep going for them. I know it's hard but you're a strong kid…you can get through this." He put an arm around Hope's shoulder, trying to comfort him, but Hope did not respond, his gaze falling to the floor. "Besides, the way I hear it, she'll wake up eventually…you just have to hold on to that hope."

"Hold on to hope, huh?" Hope said, still avoiding his father's gaze. "If you listened to what the eidolons had to say, then you know that all Anima needs to free himself is the last aspect inside me. Stopping him seemed like a long shot from the beginning, but I never thought it was impossible because…she was with me. I was there, I watched Zalera do this to her, and I couldn't do anything to stop him, and I can't do anything to help her now. I can't even get revenge, Zalera is too strong. All I can do now is wait here for him to find us and take Eden." His stare returned to Lightning. "And then I'll end up in crystal stasis like her. There's nothing I can do."

Bartholomew stood up and walked a few steps. Hope thought he was going to leave, but he stopped. "I don't pretend to understand any of this, about Ultima and Anima or magic. But I do know that you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for Hope. When you were born, your mother picked that name for you, because she knew that whatever happened, if a person held on to hope, they would find a way to overcome anything. As long as we hold onto hope, we hold onto the chance to be happy. That's the hope that your mother named you for." With that, Bartholomew left the room, and Hope stared blankly after him.

"Hold on to hope…" he repeated to himself.

Some time later, Sazh came in next, a rather uncomfortable expression on his face. He walked over to Lightning, crouching over her, shaking his head. He then went over to Hope and leaned on the wall next to him. Several minutes passed in a slightly awkward silence, but Hope was in no hurry to start up another conversation like the one he had just had with his father. Finally, Sazh spoke.

"Look kid, they wanted me to come in here with some fancy speech to try and cheer you up. They wanted me to tell you that it's gonna be alright and that Lightning would want you to keep going and all that. But I know that none of that will help you now, none of it means anything to you." Hope looked up at him, but said nothing. "When Dajh turned to crystal, that was hard enough, but then I found out that Vanille was there the day he was made a l'Cie and might have been responsible. I didn't know what to do, and I almost killed myself because I couldn't deal with it." Hope's eyes widened at the declaration. "But I didn't. I realized that I wouldn't be doing anyone any good by taking the easy way out. It was hard, but I kept going." Sazh sighed, and shook his head helplessly.

"The only one who can decide what you do from here is you. If you decide to keep fighting, that's up to you. If you decide not to, well, that's fine too. I don't know what the others might expect you to do, but you shouldn't have to deal with something like this alone." He walked away, not waiting for a response. At the door, he turned back to Hope. "If you need anyone, you know we're all here."

It was Snow's turn after that, and when he came in an hour or so later, Hope inwardly groaned. He knew the man meant well, but Snow's…unique personality wasn't something he wanted to deal with right now. Nevertheless, he tried to keep his annoyance out of his expression as Snow sat down next to him. Snow did no immediately begin talking, which surprised Hope until he saw that the man was rifling through several coats in his pocket, searching for something. Hope watched him dig through three pockets before he apparently found what he was looking for and pulled it out with a flourish. Hope looked at the small object Snow held up to him, and after a moment recognized it as the tear shaped crystal that had come from Serah when she had entered crystal stasis.

Hope stared blankly at the small object, lost in the teasing reflections from its depths until Snow spoke up. "I know what you're going through," he said, echoing the words of Hope's father. Hope shot a glance at Lightning and turned back to the man beside him, to see that Snow had a slight grin on his face. "You know, I actually notice a lot more than you guys give me credit for, especially stuff like this. I've known you had a thing for Lightning for a long time, kid."

Hope sighed and looked back at Lightning. "Was I that obvious?"

Snow laughed again. "Let's just say you're lucky Lightning isn't as observant about these kinds of things as I am." Hope gave Snow a half exasperated look, but it eventually became a small smile. "So how far along have you gotten?" he asked, catching Hope by surprise with the question.

"W-what?" Hope stammered.

"Have you talked to Lightning about how you feel?" Snow pressed.

"Uh, y-yeah, I have," Hope replied.

"And?" Snow continued, egging him on. "Did she, uh…reciprocate?"

This time, Hope began to cough violently as Snow's question sunk in.

Snow laughed and thumped Hope on the back as he leaned forward. "Take it easy, Hope," he said, trying to stifle his chuckles. Hope eventually calmed down, but Snow was still looking at him expectantly. Hope opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, unsure if he should answer. "Come on, kid," Snow said, gently elbowing Hope in a brotherly fashion, "don't hold out on me."

Hope sighed, leaning his head back on the wall and staring at the ceiling. His mind wandered back to the weeks he and Lightning had spent training on the ark, how she had slowly but surely let him in. He caressed her crystallized hand absentmindedly as he remembered her scent and her sleeping form next to him. He ran his thumb over his lips as he remembered kissing her…

"Yeah…there was some definite reciprocation…" It took Hope several minutes to realize that he had said this out loud. He groaned inwardly again, turning to Snow to find the man staring at him with eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Several seconds passed in silence as Hope continued staring at him, waiting for the inevitable reaction. Finally, what Hope had said and the dreamlike manner in which he had said it seemed to hit Snow, and the man burst out laughing, clapping Hope on the shoulder.

"Damn, Hope, you must be a lot smoother than you look to get anywhere with Lightning," he managed to say through his laughter.

Hope knew Snow meant well, but that comment ignited a slight spark of anger in him, and he turned to glare at Snow. "It wasn't like that," he said slowly, his deadly even tone and fierce gaze quieting Snow. The man looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments before responding.

"I know you care about her, Hope. Just trying to lighten the mood a bit; you looked like you could use some cheering up." Snow's serious tone more than anything dissipated his anger. Hope relaxed, turning to Lightning, his fingers interlocking with her crystalline hand. The sight of her looking up at him while she entered crystal stasis flashed before his eyes and abruptly stole away the levity Snow had managed to conjure up. It left Hope feeling hollow again, and he turned back to Snow to see an understanding look on the man's face.

"How did you manage to stay so upbeat when this happened to Serah? She's right in front of me and I can't talk to her…I can't hear her voice or feel her warmth…And I can't do anything to help her." Hope lowered his gaze, looking at the ground in front of him, not wanting Snow to see the pleading look in his eyes begging for answers.

"You don't give in," Snow responded simply. "Back then, I convinced myself that completing our focus and saving Cocoon would bring Serah back, and that was what kept me from losing to grief."

"I don't know if I can do that. With what happened to her…" Hope flashed back again, seeing Zalera draining Kujata from Lightning. "I don't know if she'll ever come back, even if I do find a way to stop Zalera and Anima. And as of now, I don't know how the hell I'm gonna do that."

"Don't worry, there's always a way, kid. I'm sure the eidolons will find it," Snow replied, attempting to placate Hope's fears. "And I wouldn't worry about Lightning too much."

Hope cocked an eyebrow at Snow, waiting for elaboration. "What do you mean?" Hope asked when one was not forthcoming.

Snow laughed. "I've been married to Serah for a while now, and if there's one thing I learned, it's that Farron women are tough." Hope's quizzical look returned, and Snow sighed. "You don't believe me? Serah can be just as brutal as Lightning sometimes…she just hides it better. Trust me, Lightning is way too stubborn to stay in crystal stasis forever…and she cares way too much about you." Seeing Hope's puzzled look again, Snow patted him on the shoulder and gestured at Lightning. "She's not so great at hiding it either."

Hope chuckled, the sound surprising him. Snow began to laugh again and Hope almost joined in, but the sound caught in his throat. Snow had managed to cheer him up slightly, but the prone form of Lightning snapped him back to reality. Snow's laughter died down, and after a minute of silence, he stood.

"I know jokes and reassurances aren't gonna help you, Hope, the only way you'll get through this is by sorting it out on your own." Snow once again adopted a serious tone that Hope rarely heard from the man. "She'll come back to you kid, so don't give up. You're the hero now."

He left, leaving Hope to wallow in his thoughts, which he did over the next hour or so. What had happened on Anima's ark kept flashing through his mind unbidden, and after failing to quell the unwanted memories for the better part of an hour, he began to truly appreciate Lightning's distress after fighting Phoenix. He slipped into the meditative state he had used to help her, and for a while it seemed to work. Eventually though, the energy flowing through him lost its calming effect when he realized that the power would never be able to stand up to Zalera's. He soon gave up in disgust, and lost himself to his tumultuous feelings and memories.

Hope last track of time as he sat there, the only thing he was consciously aware of being the feel of Lightning's crystal hand. After an indeterminate amount of time passed, Hope was stirred from his trance by a sudden noise. He looked up and saw locks of pink hair out of the corner of his eye and his heart skipped a beat. "C-Claire?" he murmured to himself as he blinked his eyes several times. A smile almost reached his face, but he was quickly snapped him back to cruel reality when he took in the rest of the scene and realized it was Serah. He looked up at her as she knelt at her sister's side and felt a twinge of unease. He was sure that Serah wouldn't even think to blame him for what happened, but couldn't push away a nagging feeling that he should have been able to do something. Hope knew this was an absurd sentiment, but on top of everything else, he didn't have the willpower to squash it. His grip on Lightning's hand tightened.

Serah held her sister's other hand, and stared down at her for several moments, then walked around Lightning and sat next to Hope. He could feel her gaze on him, and he turned to her with the same disinterested expression he had shown the others, hoping she would get the message like Sazh had and skip the 'chin up' speech. As he looked at her up close, however, he saw too much of Lightning in her face to keep up the stony façade, and his expression softened. With great effort, he offered her a sad half smile to let her know that he appreciated her presence.

She returned the gesture and sighed, looking at her sister sadly. Hope thought that he should say something, and opened his mouth to try and voice an apology, but Serah cut him off. "No one blames you for what happened Hope. We know that there wasn't anything you could have done." This did little to cheer Hope up however, and his gaze dropped to the floor, his hands gripping his head in frustration.

"I know there wasn't anything I could do...and that's the problem. I can't do anything for her." His head lifted slowly and he looked down at his hands. They began to crackle with energy, and Hope's expression turned to one of anger. "I have all this power, but it's not enough. I can't do anything with it…I'm useless."

Serah put an arm on his shoulder, unshaken by his sudden display of magic. "That's not true and you know it, Hope. I've known you for a while now, and you're not the kind of person who gives up just because things look bad."

Hope sighed heavily, turning back to Serah. "I wasn't always like that...when I first became a l'Cie with the others, I couldn't accept it. I tried to ignore it, to convince myself it was all a bad dream, but your sister is the one who helped me through it. She gave me the strength to keep fighting no matter what happened, but without her…I don't know what to do."

"You don't give up." She gestured at Lightning. "She wouldn't want you to roll over and die, would she? She might be a bit…standoffish sometimes, but she cares about you more than even she realizes. And I know that you care about her too."

Hope chuckled softly, drawing a curious look from Serah. Hope noticed, and said "You know, Snow said pretty much the same thing."

Serah laughed lightheartedly. "I'm not surprised; you two aren't that hard to read when you're around each other. Pretty much everyone besides the two of you have known for a few years now. Anyone who watches you together can tell there's something there." She motioned towards Hope's hand, which still held Lightning's tightly. Hope flexed his fingers and found them to be stiff and cramped. He realized he must have been gripping Lightning's frozen hand for several hours. He looked back at Serah to see her flashing him a knowing smile. "Pretty obvious." He gave her the same exasperated look he had given Snow, but he didn't argue. He knew she was right.

"But let me tell you something, Hope Estheim," she said in a tone that made him cringe in fear. Her abrupt change in demeanor shocked him, as did her use of his full name. He tried and failed to babble a response as she fixed an unwavering glare on and, and he quailed under its intensity. He was painfully reminded of Snow's declaration that Serah could be just as brutal as her sister.

'You'd better be sure about wanting to be with my sister. If she opens up to you and you break her heart, she won't ever let anyone in again. And if that happens," she said, leaning in closer and cracking her knuckles, "You'll have to answer to me. I don't know exactly how much you care about her, but you better decide soon."

Hope glanced at Lightning, squeezing her hand again, and a genuine smile crossed his face. "I love her…more than anything. I…I don't know if Claire feels the same way, but…I do know that I'd spend the rest of my life with her to find out."

Serah's fierce expression was quickly replaced with a shocked one at Hope's declaration, especially with the speed and ease with which he had said it. She knew he was telling the truth, both from the tone in which he had spoken and the misty look in his eyes when he turned back to her. But what surprised her most was Hope's use of Lightning's real name. She knew he would not use it unless she had told him to, and she also knew such a gesture was huge for Lightning. Serah was the only one who called her Claire, and even then Lightning only allowed her to grudgingly. She stared at Hope, as devastated as he was over what had happened to Lightning, and knew that if they all got through this mess, her sister might finally be able to find some happiness of her own.

She stood and took a few steps before turning back to face Hope, who looked at her with a slightly curious expression. "Thank you," she said, and left the room. Hope blinked a few times as he stared after her, perplexed by her sudden exit and even more by her parting words. Shrugging it off as a matter for another time, Hope mulled over his answer to Serah. The sentence ran through his mind several times, and he soon realized that it was the resolution he needed. From the bottom of his heart, he was in love with Lightning, and the thought of drowning in misery while she lay locked in crystal stasis was unacceptable. There was a way to free her, and Hope knew that it lay in defeating Zalera and Anima. His mind shifted to his encounter with the aspect of darkness, but it filled his mind not with hopelessness, but with determination. He would find a way to become more powerful, and he would kill the aspect. After that, he would deal with Anima. Somewhere along the way, Hope knew he would find the trigger that would awaken Lightning from crystal stasis.

He would find his path, but for now, he would have to wait for it to be revealed to him. Hope accessed his magic and entered his meditative trance, his renewed conviction allowing him some peace.

XXXXX

"Sir, can I ask you something?" asked a soldier as he led who he thought was the councilor Rufus through the production factory that housed Carbuncle. The men stationed at the place had initially been surprised by the unexpected visit, but they had accommodated Zalera due to his host's prominent position.

A twinge of annoyance crossed Zalera's face at the man's question, but the aspect quelled the urge to kill him. He would only have to put up with the humans for a little longer, so he may as well play his part until then. "You may, Commander," Zalera said flatly.

"Well, sir, it's been almost five days since we lost contact with the ark…" the man trailed off as Zalera turned to him with an odd expression. It seemed impassive, but with an almost imperceptible trace of cold anger beneath the surface. "W-we've stalled the public as long as we can, but the people are starting to have doubts…they want to know what's become of the ark and their primarch…"

"Don't worry, Commander. I have arranged for a press conference later today to explain the situation to the people of the city," Zalera replied smoothly.

"What are you going to tell them?" the commander asked curiously.

"You'll have to wait and see," Zalera said with a smirk that went unnoticed by the soldier. "This is it, is it not?"

They had stopped in front of a large metal door with a small window near the top. A soft yellow light emanated from the window. The commander escorting Zalera assumed he guess that this was the room holding Carbuncle because of the light, but Zalera could feel the energy being given off by his fellow aspect. "Yes, this is where Carbuncle is housed, Sir."

"Open it," Zalera commanded.

"Yes Sir," the commander said quickly, opening a keypad in the wall and punching in a code. The door swung open, and Zalera entered. The room was small and cylindrical, with a circular metal pillar in the middle of it. The three feet at the center of the pillar was made of glass, and yellow glowing orb containing Carbuncle was visible within, bathing the room in light.

Zalera pressed a hand to the glass. "Open this too," he said, turning to the commander.

The soldier hesitated. "I…y-yes Sir," he eventually said as the aspect fixed a stern glare on the man. He entered a code into another keypad, and the pillar sunk into the floor. The light enveloped the entire room now, and was joined by a soft heat.

Zalera stood over the pedestal holding the orb, looking down at it with a satisfied look. His hand shone with black energy and he grabbed the orb and wrenched it from its resting place.

The commander took a step back. "W-what the hell are you doing?" the man stammered, reaching for his gun.

"I am here to repossess this," Zalera said, casually disarming the man with a flick of his wrist. "And to…repurpose you and the rest of this city." He held up the yellow orb and his body was cloaked in dark energy. Zalera poured his energy into Carbuncle, and black tendrils of energy crept across its surface, swirling with the yellow light. Zalera smiled triumphantly and pointed at the commander. A beam of energy erupted from the orb and hit the commander, who immediately began to scream in pain.

Zalera watching with increasingly evident delight as the man began to twist and mutate from the magic surging through him. The man continued to writhe and scream as his features became more and more distorted. The man eventually fell silent and stood, Zalera appraising the creature in front of him. The man resembled a Cie'th, but with a much more humanoid form and size. It looked as if his face had been blurred and stretched until it was only remotely recognizable as having once been a human face. His left eye was gone and right darting around wildly. The rest of his face had taken on a grayish blue tinge and had stretched in several directions, forming ridges and spines. The rest of his body was still in the uniform he had worn, but had also taken on the grayish blue tinge of his face. His left arm, however, had grown, and reached past his knee. It was thick and muscular, and covered in what appeared to be gray crystal shards down its length. A tormented groan escaped his mouth as he shambled around the room.

"Perfect," Zalera said with a wicked smile.

XXXXX

Several hours later, Zalera was approaching a podium outside of the capitol building of New Eden. A massive crowd of people, military and civilians alike, had gathered in the square to witness the speech. A look of distaste appeared on the aspect's face as he saw the crowd, and when he reached the podium, several people at the front of the crowd began to frantically question him. But Zalera had long since lost his patience for the humans.

He withdrew the yellow sphere holding Carbuncle and held it up, silencing most of the crowd. The majority of the people did not know what the thing was, and those that did were too shocked by its appearance to speak. Nearly everyone in the crowd let out an audible gasp however, when Zalera was shrouding in black light and floated up, settling several yards above the podium in mid-air.

"As promised, we will usher in the future of Gran Pulse," he said to them, his voice magnified by an unseen device. "You, however, are not a part of that future." He raised the orb above his head and once again infused his own power into it, but this time pouring nearly all of his energy into the thing. When it reached its peak, instead of a fixed beam, the orb released a wave of energy in all directions. The wave sped across the city as Zalera willed it, unaffected as he was by the screams and shrieks of agony that it left in its wake.

XXXXX

Zalera walked casually through the Pulse Vestige some time later, flanked by two grotesquely transformed humans. They shuffled along behind him obediently; the occasional gurgle or moan the only sound they made. Zalera reached the dome that contained Anima, and it shifted aside as the aspect stopped in front of it.

"I have Carbuncle," Zalera stated, withdrawing the yellow orb and holding it up for inspection. Anima's sealed form came into view, staring down at Zalera. The aspect squeezed the orb until it shattered, releasing a surge of power. The small yellow crystal set into the floor beneath Anima glowed brightly momentarily, indicating that Carbuncle had returned to its crystal prison.

As the yellow light subsided, Anima spoke. "What are these…creatures?" he asked. If Anima was capable of making expressions his metallic visage would be wearing one of mild curiosity as he studied the abominations flanking his most powerful servant.

"The humans had served their purpose by helping with the ark, but I found another one for them. With Carbuncle's help, I have procured a new force to aid us in our cause," Zalera answered proudly.

"They appear to be Cie'th…but something is off," Anima pointed out.

"They are not fully Cie'th, no," Zalera said. "We would not be able to control them if they were. They are something…in between human and Cie'th." Zalera looked away towards the two creatures behind him with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I call them…the Broken."

"How many did you create?" Anima asked, sounded intrigued by the resourcefulness of the aspect.

"Several million, actually," Zalera responded, turning back to Anima with a smirk.

"You turned the whole city then?" Anima wondered, and Zalera nodded. "Impressive."

"They should be able to help us in locating Eden's host and the Menhirrim that aid him," Zalera declared. "Speaking of which, have you received word yet?"

"Yes," Anima responded. "The Espers have answered the call. They will serve me once more."

XXXXX

Hope had elected to sleep in the room with Lightning rather than in the room the two of them had shared before the disastrous assault on Anima's ark. The room wasn't exactly well furnished, but Hope didn't mind. He lay next to her, trying to fight back the ache he felt whenever he brushed against her crystallized form.

XXXXX

Hope didn't remember falling asleep, but when he suddenly opened his eyes and found himself once again in the old fashioned bar, and he knew that he was dreaming. Hope had been a lucid dreamer for quite a while, attributing the odd skill to the mental awareness he had picked up during his time as a l'Cie six years ago. Since then, he had always been able to recognize his dreams as what they were.

This time, however, it felt different somehow. It was strange, it felt more tangible than his usual dreams, but at the same time he knew it wasn't quite reality. He looked around and saw his friends in the same places they had been in the dream he had had the night before discovering his brand, but it was as if someone had pressed mute; there was no sound. Hope also noticed a few cloaked figures at the tables, and their appearance struck his as odd, but they were pushed from his mind when he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Hope?"

He turned slowly to see Lightning walking through the door towards him, with a curious expression on her face. She wore an elegant violet dress with a slit up the left side, showing off her shapely legs while she walked over to him. Although he knew it was only a dream, Hope couldn't help but be overjoyed at the sight of her. She stopped in front of him and cocked an eyebrow at his expression. "Hope, what the hell is going on?" she asked.

Having expected some profound or enigmatic piece of dream wisdom, Hope could only stare at her blankly at the abrupt question, not sure what was going on. "Hope, are you in there?" she demanded impatiently, snapping her fingers in front of his face.

"Uh…yeah…what?" he said, confused.

"Where. Are. We?" she asked again, punctuating each word by poking him in the forehead.

"We're…in my dream," he responded, the answer sounding awkward even as it left his mouth.

"We're…what?" Lightning asked, joining him in confusion. She looked around, taking in the scene of all their friends noiselessly engaged in strange activities, and then down at herself. "What the hell am I wearing?"

"I've had this dream before," Hope told her. "I can usually tell when I'm dreaming, and this is definitely a dream."

"So why am I in your dream?" Lightning said, looking back to him.

"I…I don't know. If you're actually you and not just a part of my dream…"

"I'm pretty sure I'm me," she said to him, looking slightly annoyed now. "What's going on?"

"Well, you're in crystal stasis…After you defeated Barthandelus, Zalera came," Hope explained.

"I…I remember that," Lightning said, trying to take in what he was saying. "We fought, but…he was too strong."

"He took Kujata from you," Hope told her. "And you…fell into crystal stasis," he finished sadly.

"What happened to the ark? And Serah and the others?" she asked suddenly.

"Zalera detonated the core of Anima's ark, and it destroyed Cocoon. We managed to escape in time, with you. We met up with the others after than, they're all okay. We're back at the Menhirrim's ark right now."

They sat down at an empty table, and Lightning held her head in her hands, understandably overwhelmed by the situation. "So, I'm in stasis…what are you gonna do now?"

She looked up at Hope, and he looked away, unable to face her as he talked. "I don't know, Claire. I just don't know. Zalera is way too strong for me to fight alone, and I don't know what might wake you up from crystal stasis. I…fell apart. You were only gone for a few days and I couldn't hold myself together." He looked back to her with a somber expression. "But I swear to you that I'll find a way to get through this…"

"Hope…" Lightning murmured, reaching for his hand. She grasped it and he squeezed back. Suddenly, the scene swirled around them. Their friends disappeared and the lights dimmed. The piano started playing itself, filling the room with a graceful melody. Lightning hesitated for a moment, but got up, pulling Hope to his feet with her. "Let's dance," she said as she led him to the middle of the room. She probably would have never have asked him to dance in reality, but this was a dream after all, and Lightning could tell that Hope needed some cheering up.

"I didn't know you danced, Claire," he said teasingly as she moved his hand to her waist and struck up a slow dance.

"Don't push it," she answered, pulling him closer and resting her head in his shoulder as they swayed back and forth across the floor. Hope went silent, enjoying the moment. He breathed in her familiar scent and felt her warmth, surprised but thankful for the vivid clarity of the dream, though he had by now realized it was something more than a simple dream.

"So," Lightning said after a few minutes, "Is this how you usually dress me in your dreams?"

"W-what?" Hope stammered, put off guard by the question.

"I would imagine it's usually something more revealing than this if you're a lucid dreamer," she continued teasingly.

Hope sputtered unintelligibly as Lightning pulled back to look at him as he tried to fumble for a response while he blushed furiously. She started to laugh, drawing a stern glare from Hope. "Take it easy, I was just kidding." she said to him, pulling him close once more. Unable to resist, she said "Besides, I don't think I want to know the details about any nighttime cameos I might have in your head."

They continued to dance for a while, Hope merely enjoying Lightning's company in any form he could get it, dreading his return to harsh reality. As the thought crossed his mind, the music stopped, and Hope groaned, thinking he was about to wake up, but the scene did not dissolve around him as it usually did. He and Lightning glanced around, and Hope noticed that one of the hooded figures had got up and was walking over to them. The figure removed his hood, and Hope sighed with annoyance as he found himself staring at Cid Raines.

"What is Raines doing here?" Lightning asked, perplexed by the man's sudden appearance.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he's not part of my dream," Hope responded, feeling something strange from the man, knowing he was out of place.

"That is correct," Raines said, nodding slightly at Hope. "I am here to discuss a matter of great importance with you."

"Well since the last time we saw you, you were being worn by Barthandelus, you'll have to forgive us for not exactly believing that," Hope said as he clenched his fists angrily.

"Your reluctance is understandable. I am here by Barthandelus's power, but my mind is my own. If you hear me out, I can explain everything to you."

Lightning and Hope exchanged glances, and Lightning looked as if she didn't want to trust him, but Hope shrugged. "I don't think he can do anything to us here, so we may as well listen to what he has to say."

Raines offered him another nod, and launched into his story. "Barthandelus has been working against Anima and Zalera since Cocoon fell six years ago. When you defeated him in Orphan's cradle, you noticed that Orphan initially manifested himself using Barthandelus's form. Due to their true nature as aspects of Ultima, this connection revealed to Barthandelus the truth of Anima and Zalera's deception. He regained his memories of being Ultima, and decided to try and thwart Anima's schemes. He used Orphan's power as the aspect of death to revive me and transported me to the Pulse Vestige without Anima's knowledge."

Lightning and Hope exchanged another glance, trying to decide whether or not Raines was telling the truth. Giving no indication that he noticed their silent exchange, Raines continued. "After that, Barthandelus bided his time until Anima began to put his plans in motion. They eventually found me, and as Barthandelus had hoped, they used me as his host. Our past connection would make him more powerful merging with me than some other human turned l'Cie off the street. I willingly allowed Barthandelus into me, and my being was preserved. Anima's control over Barthandelus was powerful, but with my help he was able to regain control of himself for brief intervals that we used to try and undermine Anima and Zalera."

"When we found out about you, however, we tried to use our time to help you. We kept your ark hidden from the scanners of Anima's ark, but we weren't able to do much more than that without arousing suspicion. We knew Zalera might make an appearance when you attacked the ark, but we could find no way to warn you. We could not break free of Anima during the fight, but we eventually managed to afterwards, and we tried to distract Zalera so that you could escape. Before he destroyed us, Barthandelus managed to attach a remnant of my consciousness to Lightning's crystal form so that I could reach you."

Hope and Lightning were silent for several moments, but Lightning soon spoke up. "That's great and all that Barthandelus tried to make up for what he did, but how does that help us now?"

"We managed to find a faint energy signature with the ark's scanners. Barthandelus recognized the coordinates as the site of the temple where Ultima first created the Menhirrim. We don't know what might be down there, but it may be your only chance to gain enough power to defeat Zalera."

"Where is this temple?" Hope asked.

"It lies beneath the faultwarrens," Raines replied. "The minerals in the area mask magical energy, so for even a small signal to be detectable there must be something of value in the temple." He waved his hand a small screen appeared in mid air next to him. It showed what Hope recognized as the entrance to the faultwarrens, and it began to move through the area. Hope memorized the route as best he could, and it soon came upon a cave hidden in a cliff face.

"The temple lies within this cave." He closed his eyes and grimaced as his form began to flicker. "My time is up; this is all that I can do for you," Raines said, and his form began to fade. "I pray that you find something that can help you." He was gone.

"Well that was…interesting," Lightning said when Raines vanished. "What do you think?"

"I don't think he was lying," Hope answered. "Whatever's down there, I might as well go look. I don't have any other options left."

Lightning pulled Hope into a tight embrace. "I know you can do it, Hope. If anyone can stop Anima, it's you."

Hope smiled, intensely grateful for her words. He kissed her deeply as he felt her and the rest of the dream dissolve around him.

XXXXX

Hope woke with a start, his hand going to his lips as he felt the linger sensation of the kiss. He rubbed his eyes and went over the dream he had just woken up from. He wanted to believe it was real, but a nagging doubt developed that told him the dream might just have been his mind trying to make up something to alleviate his distress. These doubts were dispelled, however, by a flash of purple light next to him.

He looked over and saw as small, purple crystal rose formed in Lightning's hand. Hope tentatively picked the crystal up, surprised to feel the warmth emanating from it. Elation filled him as he realized the dream was real, and that he had found a path to follow again.

He checked his watch and found that it was still the dead of night, which suited the resolve quickly forming in his mind. He knew that the others wouldn't want him to go alone, but he knew this was something he had to undertake by himself. He gathered his belongings as quickly as he could, throwing his cloak over himself and strapping his small satchel of provisions on his belt. As he packed, something caught his eye.

Before jumping, Hope had retrieved Lightning's gunblade and stowed it in his pack. At the time he didn't know why, but he couldn't leave Lightning's weapon behind. He looked down at the magnificently crafted blade and had a fleeting memory of asking Lightning once if he could use one of these. Hope knew the weapon wouldn't do much good in his inexperienced hands, but he strapped it to his belt anyway. He remembered the vicious creatures that stalked the faultwarrens, and knew he would need every advantage he could get.

Once he had everything, he knelt down at Lightning's side, and planted a kiss on her cold, crystal cheek. "I'll get you out of this, Claire. I promise." He felt the small crystal rose pulse slightly in his hand, and he smiled as he left the room.

XXXXX

"So the Espers will join us after all," Zalera said. "I'm a little surprised that they even remembered you. I didn't even think any of them were more than mindless beasts now."

"The majority of those that remain aren't, but there are a few that have retained their sanity over the long years." Anima responded. "I have made contact with the strongest Esper, and he wishes a meeting. If he joins us, the others will rally behind him, sane or otherwise."

"Who is it?" Zalera asked.

"Titan," Anima replied.

"The biogenitor?"

"Yes. I would like you to meet with him and convince him to join our cause."

Zalera bowed. "As you wish. Where am I to meet him?"

"Titan dwells within the faultwarrens," Anima told him.

"I shall leave at once."

XXXXX


	12. Chapter 12

**I know it has been quite some time since an update, but I am still here and this story is not abandoned. I've been having a rather hectic summer, between work and the woes of life taking turns in screwing me over, but I won't get into that. **

**This story fell by the wayside unfortunately, and I've only recently found the time and will to continue. I know it's been almost two months, and I don't know how many people are still even interested in this story after that, but this is my first fic and I want to see it through to the end.**

**Anyway, for those of you still reading, here, at long last, is chapter 12. Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 12

Hope moved as quietly as he could through the dim halls of the ark. The lighting aboard the underground vessel was adjusted at night, to preserve the sleep cycles of those aboard, and Hope was grateful for it. Despite the empty semi-dark corridors however, Hope winced whenever he stepped too heavily and the sound of his footfall echoed around him. He cursed his ineptness at stealth, knowing that Lightning would have been off the ark already without making a sound.

Hope made his way towards the hangar that he had visited with Odin and Lightning once, to see the ship that the others were repairing to make the trip to New Eden. There had been other, smaller ships there, and Hope prayed that one of them was in working condition and that the controls of the Pulse aircrafts were similar enough to the ones he was used to from Cocoon.

He began to consider his decision to go alone to investigate Raines' claims. The more he thought about the course of action he had chosen, the crazier it seemed. He was going alone to one of the most dangerous areas of Gran Pulse to search for a millennia old temple for some unknown source of power that may or may not be able to help him. He planned to get there on an airship that may or may not be in working order, and even if it was fully functional he probably wouldn't be able to pilot it. On top of all that, he was undertaking this insane mission on the word of a dream apparition that took the form of a man who had been his enemy the last few times they had met.

As he wrestled with his better judgment telling him to stop being an idiot and go back to his room, his hand found its way into a pocket in his cloak. He gently caressed the crystal petals of the small rose he had found in Lightning's hand upon awaking. Hope felt the rose grow warm at his touch, and his doubts drained away. He was doing this for Lightning's sake, because this was possibly his only chance to save her and the rest of Pulse. Hope didn't know why he was so adamant on going alone, he knew any of the eidolons would accompany him if he asked but…he knew in his gut that this was something he needed to do by himself.

As engrossed in his thoughts as he was, Hope did not notice Alexander's bulk filling the hallway as he turned the corner and bumped into the eidolon's leg. Startled, he looked up and froze at the sight of the towering Alexander. He raised his head to meet the eidolon's gaze, and saw that Alexander was fixing him with an intense stare.

"Alexander…what are you doing here?" Hope asked, perplexed by the eidolon's appearance.

"About to pose the same question to you, Hope," Alexander responded. "I felt something…strange through our link earlier tonight, and now I can feel the same thing from you now. And here you are dressed for an expedition on your way to the hangar, so I can only assume something significant has occurred."

Hope leaned up against the wall and sighed. He quickly decided not to lie to Alexander. He took a deep breath and began to tell Alexander about the dream, sticking mostly to the parts involving Raines and keeping the more personal parts with Lightning to himself.

Alexander was definitely surprised at the mention of the temple. When Hope finished, Alexander stood in silence for several minutes, and Hope patiently waited for him to draw whatever conclusions he would from his tale.

"The temple…we knew its location but we never thought there could be something down there. Our scanner never picked anything up." Hope's heart sank at this, thinking that maybe his dream had been just a dream after all. "But our ark does not operate at its full potential like Anima's did…it is possible that his ark was able to pick up the signal through the interference of the faultwarrens."

"So you might have missed it?" Hope asked eagerly.

"We may have. But what makes you so sure that this…experience wasn't just a dream?" Alexander asked.

Hope revealed the purple rose crystal, which began to glow softly under the eidolon's scrutiny. "I see. This is Lightning's crystal…this is what's giving off the strange energy. It seems to be linked to her consciousness trapped within crystal stasis. I've never seen anything like this." He studied the crystal for another minute before handing it back to Hope along with a slow, steady nod indicating his acceptance of Hope's tale. Hope returned the nod appreciatively and returned the crystal to his cloak pocket.

"I have to go," Hope said. "I can't sit here and wait for you guys to find something else…even if it might turn out to be a goose chase or a trap…I have to see this through."

"Let me go with you, then," Alexander rumbled. Hope was not surprised by the offer, but he knew that he was going to remain adamant in his decision to go to the faultwarrens alone.

"No," Hope replied simply and firmly. "I'm going alone. I know there is something important there…and I know that it's something I need to find by myself." Hope looked down for a moment, closing his eyes and caressing Lightning's rose again. "I'm sure this is what I need to do."

Alexander seemed puzzled by the fierce determination that was evident in Hope's face as he said this. "Why?" the eidolon asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

Hope opened his mouth to voice the answer he thought would be simple, but he stopped, realizing that he didn't have one. He didn't know why he was so sure…perhaps in his desperation to find some way to help Lightning, and the small part of him that still blamed himself for what happened to her, he had convinced himself that investigating this temple was his last hope to make it up to her. Or, perhaps his feeling was genuine, that he was meant to take this path alone and he was being directed by fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it. But he was hesitant to use that as a reason to give Alexander. Somehow, Hope felt that telling the eidolon he just had a feeling wasn't an adequate answer to justify risking everything on a hope.

_Risking everything on a Hope…_he thought, chuckling to himself at the play on his name. _Hope is all I've got now, so I might as well. _He looked up at the eidolon. "I don't know…" he felt a slight surge of heat from the crystal rose. "But I'm not going to ignore something like this when it might be our only hope."

Alexander looked at him for several moments, and eventually nodded. Hope tried to hide a relieved sigh; he did not want to have to argue the point to the eidolon all night. "I need you guys to find out what you can about Zalera and Anima while I'm gone," Hope said, trying to make the best of this turn of events. If everyone was going to know about his trip, he may as well have them begin to prepare for the inevitable encounter with Zalera. The more he thought about it, the more he realized this was for the best. Instead of worrying about where he had gone, the eidolons would be doing something constructive. The uncharacteristic rashness of his original plan unnerved him somewhat; Hope knew that if he wanted to make it through whatever was to come, he would need to get his head back on straight. He wouldn't be doing Lightning any favors by getting himself killed because he was distracted by her predicament.

Alexander nodding again at his request, and Hope made to continue to the hangar, but the eidolon stopped him. He produced a small metal card and handed it to Hope. "That should make it easier for you to fly one of the smaller ships. If you put that into the console it will translate the interface from old Pulsian and set up the auto pilot."

Another surge of relief passed through Hope as Alexander handed the solution to another one of his problems to him. "Thanks," Hope said as he tucked the card into his cloak. He gave Alexander an appreciative nod and continued down the corridor.

"Hope…be careful," Alexander rumbled. Hope turned back to the eidolon and gave him a slight smile and nod, continuing on to whatever might await him.

XXXXX

Zalera gazed dully out the window of the airship as the landscape of Gran Pulse passed beneath him. Not for the first time, he lamented his decision to travel to the faultwarrens on the ship; he could have flown there faster himself. But the faultwarrens was known to be home to some of the most vicious creatures of Pulse, and Zalera had decided to bring half a dozen of his new minions with him to test their combat capabilities. He looked toward the front of the craft where two of the Broken he had brought were sitting in the pilot seats, operating the ship with their still mostly human arms while their other massive crystallized arms hung to the floor at their sides, clearly useless for delicate tasks such as the one they were engaged in. Their intelligence far outstripped what he had expected, and the aspect was very impressed that they had retained enough of it to fly the ship. He knew they would be less sturdy than true Cie'th and would lack their raw power, but Zalera thought that their intelligence might make up for it.

Zalera's gaze wandered to the last member of his entourage, sitting on the other side of the ship and looking out the opposite window. He was a young man with blonde hair and was garbed in casual attire underneath a gray cloak. He turned towards Zalera with a comically blank and dazed expression. He would twitch oddly every so often, and Zalera soon turned away from him, growing increasingly annoyed by the boy's ridiculous demeanor.

He cursed Anima for foisting this last minute addition on him, suggesting that some fresh air might alleviate his awkwardness, and if that failed, the chance to kill something in the faultwarrens would do him some good. Zalera sighed, shaking his head, highly doubtful that the boy's madness would be cured by a simple outing. Zalera was doubtful that anything would be able to do that, and had argued against giving the volatile aspect a host at all. Orphan had been severely unhinged since the fall of Cocoon.

XXXXX

Hope leaned back in the pilot's seat of the small airship he had taken from the ark, watching the desert sand beneath him pass by, and eventually give way to rocky terrain. He caught a glimpse of Taejin's Tower as he passed over it, its broken structure catching his eye. Hope wondered what the place might have been like before it had collapsed into the sorry state it was in now. He knew that the place was most likely an ancient Menhirrim stronghold, remembering Odin and Alexander telling him that the statues there had been Anima's jailors. Hope wondered if the damage to the place had been a result of Zalera and Barthandelus breaking the l'Cie free of his captors.

It was a likely scenario; Anima had been the cause of the degradation of the rest of Gran Pulse. Maybe it was due to being raised in the mostly industrialized and urban Cocoon, but Hope found a strange beauty to the savage world. And if the way it was now was after centuries of decay in Ultima's absence, Hope couldn't imagine what Pulse might have been like at the peak of its glory under the maker's care. He closed his eyes and sighed, trusting the auto pilot program Alexander had given him to fly the ship far better than he could. He continued to muse over the state of the world that was now his home. Even if he did defeat Anima, Hope didn't know if Pulse would continue to decay. And even if the decay ceased, Hope doubted it would be possible for the planet to return to its former glory.

Hope sighed again and got up, trying to push the unsettling thoughts away. He stretched his arms up and yawned prodigiously, suddenly realizing how tired he was. Night was still heavy over Pulse, and a glance at a clock on the ship console told him it was three in the morning. Stifling another yawn, Hope made his way over to the small cot in the back of the airship and settled in, drifting almost instantly off to sleep.

XXXXX

The next thing Hope was aware of was sitting at a table, his head resting in the palm of his right hand while he gazed absentmindedly at his white charred brand. He looked around the room and found that he was in what appeared to be a simple kitchen, resembling those that adorned the basic homes on Cocoon. Sunlight streamed into the kitchen, reflecting off the white countertops and causing Hope to wince from the brightness. He glanced out the window behind him and saw a beach stretched out in the distance. Hope was puzzled by the setting for a few moments before he realized that he was dreaming. This realization did not dispel all of his confusion however; Hope knew that he had never been wherever he was, if it existed at all. Perhaps it was just something pieced together by his subconscious, but why?

Taking in more details of the area that he could see from the window, Hope had a strange sense of familiarity, that he did know this place, but he couldn't quite put all of the details together. "Where am I?" he asked aloud after several more moments of fruitless contemplation.

"Bodhum," came a reply behind him. The second that her voice reached his ears, the rapid pace of Hope's thoughts trying to dissect the scene and its possible symbolism ceased immediately. He turned to look at Lightning, who stood in the threshold that led to what looked like a living room, a warm smile on her face. She was dressed in casual clothes and had a relaxed posture as she leaned against the wall. Hope merely stared at her for several minutes in silence, drinking in her appearance. The person who stood before him was such a stark contrast to the stoic soldier side of Lightning he was accustomed to. He'd had a brief glimpse of her before all of this started, and after everything that happened he wasn't expecting to see her again. Hope knew without a doubt that this was Claire, and he was eager to get to know her better.

Lightning allowed the silence to continue, growing amused at the dazed look that was creeping into Hope's eyes. "Are you just gonna stand there or do you want to come sit down?" Lightning asked, deciding to break the silence.

The sound of her voice again seemed to snap Hope out of his thoughts. He looked at her confused, obviously not having heard what she had said. Lightning chuckled softly as she walked across the kitchen to grab his hand and pulled him to a couch in the living room. They sat down and the silence resumed, Hope trying to come up with something to say while Lightning stared at him expectantly.

"So…" he began, looking around searching for a topic, "Was this your house on Cocoon?"

"Yeah…I grew up here," she responded softly.

Hope gave her a quizzical look. "If this is my dream, how come you got to pick the setting?"

Lightning threw him a sly smirk. "Well when all you can do is dream away in crystal stasis, you tend to pick up a few things to make it more interesting."

"Oh?" Hope asked, looking impressed. "It didn't take you long to get the hang of it. Can you do anything else?"

"Not so much," she replied. "I had to focus on learning this particular skill before our next encounter. I didn't want to take the chance that you would bring us to that bar and put me in another dress."

Hope grinned sheepishly at Lightning, who proceeded to fall into a fit of laughter at his expense. Hope stared at her transfixed, shocked by the uncharacteristic, but not unwelcome, shift in her demeanor. When her laughter subsided, Lightning noticed Hope's stare. "What?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You seem…different," Hope began slowly, gauging her reaction. "In a good way, I mean. More…relaxed."

"I guess endless dreaming stuck in crystal stasis after what we went through does that," she murmured. Hope was taken aback by the sudden sadness that had crept into Lightning's voice at this statement.

"Claire, what…" he started to say while reaching to grasp her hand, but she cut him off.

"I know I can't have been out for more than a few days, but in here it feels like a lot longer than that." She looked away and seemed lost in thought for several moments while Hope waited for her to continue. "I can't always control it; the dreams tend to take on a life of their own, and take their inspiration from my subconscious." A sardonic half-smile appeared on her face. "And with the brutally tactile dreams in crystal stasis, it's a pure and unbiased look at everything that makes me who I am. And for someone like me…it's not always a pleasant experience."

She shifted uncomfortably and did not look up to meet Hope's gaze. Hope opened his mouth to speak, but found that he couldn't think of anything to say. Lightning sighed, and Hope rested a comforting hand on her knee. She placed her own hand on top of his and their fingers interlocked. "I found out pretty quick that trying to be Lightning in here wouldn't help me…it usually just made it worse. It turns out that all the soldier training and emotional walls in the world can't help you when your enemy is yourself." She sighed again and ran her free hand through her hair, her gaze remaining on the floor.

"So that's why you're like this?" Hope asked tentatively, trying not to make the question sound as bad as it did in his head.

"I wasn't always an emotional cripple. I was just Claire once. But when Claire couldn't cope with the world, she was buried deep down and Lightning was born. In here," she gestured with her hand in no particular direction, "Lightning couldn't cope, and I found Claire again." A heavy silence settled between them again, and Hope searched around for the right thing to say.

"What did you see?" he asked slowly. Realizing this question was almost as awkward as the last, he quickly added "What was it that made…Lightning unable to cope?"

Hope felt Lightning's hand tense within his own. "Lightning let you down when you needed her the most. She was supposed to protect you…be there for you…like you were for her, but now you're alone to deal with everything by yourself." She laughed bitterly. "And I don't think it's any secret that I'm not the most optimistic person…I know happy endings don't happen often, especially for people like me. Even if you do stop Anima, there's no guarantee that I'll wake up. I just thought that before everything is said and done, you should to get to know the side of me that deserves everything you want to give her…the part of me that might be able to give you everything you deserve."

"Hey, look at me," Hope said softly, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him. "Claire…Lightning…they're just names. They're not separate identities…the things that Lightning mean to you, your strength, determination, and focus, and the things that Claire mean, your warmth, compassion…love, they're all a part of the amazing woman that you are…the woman I fell in love with." Hope held both of her hands in his while he spoke, and watched the steady film of tears appear in her eyes as she listened to him. He smiled and brushed the pink locks out of her face. "You might feel that you're just Lightning most of the time, but Claire isn't buried as deep as you think. If this place really gives you a look at your true self, you should be able to see that. And Claire…please don't think for a second that you let me down…what happened wasn't your fault."

Hope stood up, pulling Lightning to her feet with him. "I don't know if I can beat Zalera and stop Anima, but if there is a way…I'll find it, and I'll keep fighting until the end, no matter what that end may be."

Lightning blinked away the tears that had begun to form and gave Hope an approving smile. "I guess you really have grown up, Hope. I don't know if I've ever told you this, but I'm proud of you…I've always been proud of you. You've dealt with things in the time I've known you that most people couldn't fathom in their wildest dreams…and you didn't let them get to you, you still managed to become the wonderful person you are now." She took a step closer to him, their faces only inches apart. "How do you do it?"

"I had a good teacher," Hope said to her as she grew closer. "And…" he kissed her deeply, savoring the sensation. "I have something worth fighting for," he whispered breathlessly when they finally broke apart. As he looked at her, Hope knew that it was true. He would not give up; he would go to any lengths necessary to defeat Zalera, Anima, and whatever else might come along just for the chance to be able to see Lightning again, and not just in these dreams. He had all the motivation he needed right here. Hope was startled out of the moment when the room began to fade around him, and he knew the dream was ending. "Looks like I gotta go," he said sadly, and Lightning offered him a parting smile.

Lightning sighed after Hope was gone, running her hand through her hair as she wondered what would be next in the dream existence that crystal stasis had exiled her to. She was distracted from her contemplations by a constricting feeling and looked down to find herself in a skimpy black dress that didn't leave much to the imagination. "Dammit, Hope!" she swore.

XXXXX

As soon as the thick black smoke came into view on the horizon, Bahamut knew that something was wrong, but was not surprised. The eidolons were all on edge from the news of Hope's solo mission; the idea of the final piece that Anima needed to carry out his ambitions wandering halfway across Pulse alone was not a welcome one. Bahamut in particular had been vocal in criticizing Alexander for letting the boy go, but they couldn't blame Alexander too much; they all knew how stubborn humans were, especially the ones that they had all bonded with. Hope's friends had not taken his choice to leave very well, but despite the circumstance, Bahamut admired Hope's decision.

While the rest of them tried to scour the planet for signs of movement from Anima and Zalera, Bahamut had volunteered to run a scouting mission to New Eden. Out of all of them, Bahamut was the fastest and best suited for the trip, and the eidolon was convinced that Anima was not done with the city of the humans. Bahamut and the rest of the eidolons knew first hand the extent of the power and cruelty of Anima and his minions; the fact that they were the last of Ultima's chosen guardians, the Menhirrim, was testament to the renegade l'Cie's brutality and determination to wipe out any and all who could stand in his way. During the war, the humans had suffered almost as much as they had. Anima's forces had annihilated whole cities just to get to the Menhirrim fortresses within them. Even now, Bahamut could still remember walking through the devastation left in Anima's wake, the once proud civilizations of Gran Pulse reduced to rubble strewn with the corpses of humans and his fellow Menhirrim alike.

Even with those images fresh in his mind, Bahamut was not expecting the horrific scene that greeted him as he flew over New Eden. The gleaming adamantite walls that had once protected the human's bastion of civilization had crumbled. Huge chunks of the metal littered the ground on both sides of the wall, and the part of if that was left standing was jagged, torn, and twisted with extreme violence. The metal itself was degraded and corroded beyond recognition. Adamantite was impervious to rust and most other forms of decay that other metals were susceptible to, but judging by the look of it, this metal had suffered several centuries worth of rust and exposure to the elements.

Past the outer wall, the city itself was in a state of even worse destruction. More than half of it was still burning, filling the sky around the city with thick smoke. Undisturbed by the suffocating fumes, Bahamut searched the city for any signs of life; the expected screaming of survivors was conspicuously absent. The eidolon did see blasted and burned out buildings and roads, along with entire blocks that were reduced to smoking debris. After another minute of flying and searching, Bahamut began to spot them. Twisted, warped, and disfigured, a group of what the eidolon assumed was Cie'th shambled across a street. Getting a closer look, Bahamut realized that these were not any type of Cie'th he was familiar with. They appeared to be slightly less monstrous, and still retained a discernable human figure. He watched them for a few minutes, trying to identify the uneasy feeling that they caused within him. Suddenly, realization hit him as Bahamut put the pieces together, and he plummeted several feet in shock before he caught himself.

"This isn't good," the eidolon said to himself as he turned around and sped away from the ruins of the once grand New Eden.

XXXXX

Zalera was snapped out of his bored stupor when the Broken pilots began to shift and make low gurgling noises that the aspect had learned was their way of communicating with each other. Zalera stood up, stretching the stiffness of the uneventful trip from his limbs. With a quick glance at the infuriating aspect of death still twitching in his seat, Zalera made his way to the cockpit of the ship and stood behind the Broken. One of them turned to him and gurgled something incomprehensible which, judging by the jagged rock and steep cliffs of the faultwarrens sprawling below him, the aspect took to be something along the lines of 'we're here.'

XXXXX

Hope was awakened by a beeping from the ship's console. Yawning and stretching, he rolled off the cot and groaned, waving his hand through the air in an attempt to silence the horrible noise. With a few stumbling steps towards the console, Hope managed to regain his senses, and read the words flashing across the screen that told him the ship was about to begin its descent into the faultwarrens. He looked out the window to confirm the console's claim, and the memories of his last visit came to the forefront of his mind as he surveyed the craggy landscape. The violent nature of most of those memories cleared away the remainder of Hope's drowsiness, and he quickly gathered together the items he had brought with him. He was impressed on how thoroughly his possessions had managed to scatter themselves during the flight.

After several minutes of scrambling around the ship, Hope threw his cloak over his shoulders and rifled through his pockets and bags to make sure he had everything. With a start, he realized that Lightning's crystal rose wasn't in his pocket, and he whipped his head around several times until he spotted a small telltale glint from his cot. He quickly crossed the ship and gently scooped it up, the rose giving off a gentle pulse at his touch.

Hope sighed heavily; Lightning hadn't come to him in his dreams since the night a few days ago when he had first set out from the ark. He knew wishing to see her in that manner was unhealthy, he had to concentrate on finishing the monumental task that fate had dumped on him, not only for her sake but for everyone who lived on Pulse. Hope had also noticed that the enhanced dreams that he could only assume were brought on by Lightning's crystal stasis had a side effect. They felt incredibly real, with vivid input to all five senses, but they apparently engaged his mind to the point where he didn't get any rest. He had woken up from the last encounter with Lightning feeling much worse than he had before he went to sleep, and had consequently slept most of the day away.

Despite all of this, Hope still couldn't help but wish he had one more chance to talk to Lightning. Aside from the native beasts of the faultwarrens, savage even by Pulse standards, Hope did not know what awaited him within the temple Raines had told him of. He brought the crystal to eye level and gazed intently into its multi-faceted depths, as if waiting for Lightning to appear within them. He felt the ship touch down, but did not break his gaze until a distant howl snapped him back to reality. With a heavy heart, he deposited the rose into his cloak pocket and stepped off the ship.

XXXXX

For the past hour or so, Zalera and his company had wended their way through a narrow path between two sheer cliffs. Once again, for the sake of his…companions for lack of a better term, Zalera kept a slow pace. However, unlike the monotonous air ship ride, this trip was infinitely more interesting.

The fighting skills of the Broken were everything that the aspect could have hoped for. Working as a group, the six he had brought with him made short work of every bestial encounter so far. Zalera knew that normal Cie'th wouldn't have had too much trouble doing the same, but the manner in which they dispatched the creatures was what pleased the dark aspect. Their physical strength and endurance were greater than he had expected, though still not on par with some of the hulking Cie'th that infested Pulse. Zalera was even more surprised with their proficiency with magic, which was as good as or better than what Cie'th were capable of.

What made them truly stand out as superior to Cie'th in Zalera's eyes, however, was their sense of strategy and self preservation. Like humans, each one of them had varying levels of proficiencies in different fighting styles, and after just three fights, the group had apparently decided amongst themselves their strong points. Three of them had taken up the role of close combat fighters, and drew the attention of the creatures they were fighting. Meanwhile, the forte of the other three seemed to lie in magic; two bombarded the distracted enemies with harmful spells while the third provided support for his comrades. Zalera was astounded that they were so easily controlled considering their intelligence. Thinking back to the problems he had trying to force the same domination of full Cie'th though, the aspect reasoned that the near-human minds of the Broken were what allowed him to gain control of them.

Zalera remembered the few attempts he had made in the past to exert his considerable willpower into the minds of Cie'th, but no matter how hard he tried to force his way into their minds, even the weakest specimens were able to rebuff him every time. The failed l'Cie that populated Gran Pulse were primal beasts, driven by pure rage that stemmed from their anger towards their fate. This anger seemed to be what gave them their immunity to coercion, particularly from a fal'Cie like himself. He had been able to use Cie'th a few times before, especially during the incident that lead to Cocoon's fall, but the most he could do was unleash them, not direct them. As the Broken engaged another group of beasts, he had to admit that he liked the way things turned out. They were far more effective servants than Cie'th. He cast an angry glare to the side. His fellow aspect however…

Orphan's behavior had not changed. His face still held a blank expression interrupted only by occasional twitches and jerks. He kept pace with Zalera, and when the Broken fought, Orphan would watch them transfixed, his expression still blank but he did not twitch. Several times Zalera had tried to prompt the aspect to join the fights, thinking the chance to exercise his power would help the boy. The attempts were all failures however; whenever Zalera spoke to Orphan, he would receive nothing but a silent, wide-eyed stare devoid of emotion. Zalera had been the one to concede in these staring contests, in an effort to not throttle the infuriating aspect on the spot. As they continued on however, Zalera was beginning to think physical violence was the only thing that would elicit a response from Orphan.

To get his mind off of his unresponsive companion, Zalera tried again to sense the energy of the Esper he had come here to find, and once again he could feel nothing from his surroundings. As great as Titan's power should be, the minerals that made up the rock walls pressingly tightly around them absorbed the traces of power that the aspect would normally be able to pick up on like a shark smelling blood in the water. Zalera sighed. This was going to be a long day.

XXXXX

Bahamut's mind was still racing as he returned to the ark and sped through the corridors until he reached the control room. Only Odin was present when he walked in, and the eidolon turned to greet his fellow.

"You're back sooner than expected," Odin remarked, growing concerned as he noticed Bahamut's frantic demeanor.

"Call the others," Bahamut said quickly, forgoing a polite greeting and getting right to the matter at hand. "We have a problem."

Twenty minutes later, the rest of the eidolons had gathered in the control room to listen to Bahamut's report. As Stiria and Nix filed in last and closed the door, Brynhildr pushed off from her leaning position against the wall and gestured to Bahamut. "So what did you find that's so important? Did you get to New Eden?"

Bahamut turned to her. "I did…what's left of it."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Stiria asked.

"New Eden," Bahamut began slowly, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice as the scenes of destruction flooded back into his mind, "has been destroyed. The city is in ruins."

The other eidolons all expressed cries of shock and horror, but Odin remained silent, staring at Bahamut intently. Odin could tell that Bahamut was severely shaken, and knew that things were much worse than what his simple description had implied. After the others quieted down a little, Odin asked "How bad was it?"

Bahamut slowly turned his head to look at Odin, knowing the other eidolon could understand the sobering effects of devastation on a grand scale better the rest; Odin alone had been beside Bahamut during nearly every siege that had occurred during the war with Anima so long ago. The others, fortunately for them, had not witnessed the worst displays of Anima's brutality.

"It was as bad as Midgar…probably worse even," Bahamut responded after a few moments of silence. Odin took a step back and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, taking his time in digesting what Bahamut had said. Midgar had been one of the humans' greatest cities, and the Menhirrim stronghold it held had been an important base of operations for them during the final years of the war. Because of this, Anima had personally accompanied the force of Espers that laid siege to the city. This attack occurred soon after Anima had learned he could consume the strength of his Esper minions, and he was apparently eager to showcase his new strength. While his Espers tore through the city, slaughtering every person and destroying every building in their paths, Anima had single handedly laid waste to the Menhirrim stronghold. As far as Odin and Bahamut knew, they were the only ones who had made it out of the city alive. The Menhirrim did not recover from this particular blow; Ultima was forced to intercede soon after Midgar fell.

"The people?" Odin asked, dreading the answer.

"…Gone," Bahamut replied.

"Dead?" Odin pressed, still sensing Bahamut was holding something back.

"…No, not dead…at least not most of them. Cie'th," he said in answer to the puzzled looks his fellows were giving him. "But, not anything like Cie'th I've ever seen," Bahamut clarified. "They seemed more…human that normal Cie'th. I think they were something different."

"Perhaps Zalera altered the transformation process," Alexander rumbled in response.

"But why?" Nix asked.

"Most likely in an attempt to create controllable minions," Brynhildr suggested. "Cie'th are about the only thing left on this planet, but they are more or less immune to any form of mind control or mental intrusion. Zalera and Anima have probably been trying to recruit some of the roaming Cie'th for some time, but not even they can penetrate the veil of hatred that protects their minds."

"If Zalera found a way to stop the Cie'th transformation halfway," Hecatoncheir reasoned, "they might still be human enough for him to be able to control them, but still have combat abilities that could stack up to full Cie'th."

Bahamut and Odin exchanged glances, and Odin could tell that Bahamut had already formed all of these conclusions and wholeheartedly believed the worst case scenario had occurred. "From what I saw, there were no people left. It looked like Zalera turned the entire population." Bahamut said. "If he can control them, we're in trouble."

Odin made to say something, but was interrupted when the door opened to admit Snow, Gadot, and Sazh, all of who looked around at the congregation of eidolons in surprise.

"You guys having a party without us?" Snow asked, walking over to Stiria and Nix while flashing one of his winning smiles. Gadot followed in his wake, wanting to get to know the exotic looking women that Snow always seemed to have knack for attracting.

Sazh however, noticed the dark and somber looks that the eidolons were exchanging as they entered. He turned to Brynhildr and cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?" he asked. "You guys look like somebody died."

XXXXX

Hope had been travelling through the faultwarrens for several hours, trying his best to remember the path that Raines had shown him. The problem was, there wasn't much difference from one rock formation to another in the gorges, canyons, and cliff faces of the faultwarrens. He was on edge the entire time, his mind submerged in his power center and his veins coursing with magic, a spell always at his fingertips for whatever might lurk around the corner. His state of awareness had begun to wear on his nerves however, for the fautwarrens seemed oddly vacant; he had had a few run-ins with local wildlife, but definitely not as often as he should have been.

The rational side of his mind told him it was nothing, he was just being paranoid, but he could not dismiss the nagging feeling that something was wrong. The eerie stillness that permeated the area was far more ominous than the gauntlet of savage monsters he had expected to encounter. There wasn't anything he could do to get to the bottom of it now, though, so Hope pressed onward, trying to find a familiar landmark to jog his memory, but trying harder to quell the uneasy feeling rising in his gut.

XXXXX

Zalera sighed with relief as he and his entourage finally came out of the seemingly endless ravine they had been trudging through for the better part of the day. The aspect's relief was almost immediately extinguished however, when he took in the view before him. They had exited at the top of a rock formation that gave them a spectacular view of the labyrinthine pathways of the faultwarrens.

Growling in frustration, Zalera walked to the edge of the cliff and surveyed the area for signs of an Esper, but found nothing. He was getting ready to start bellowing the Pulse fal'Cie's name when Orphan began to gesticulate wildly at the horizon, towards what appeared to be another large rock formation in the distance. Zalera looked at his companion in surprise; this was the first sign of life that Orphan had shown, and the aspect was glad to have at least some indication that Orphan was alive inside the human shell he occupied. The wild, frantic gesturing however, was certainly not enough to convince Zalera that Orphan hadn't suffered permanent brain damage from the beating his l'Cie had given the already unstable fal'Cie six years ago.

Before Zalera could calm Orphan down, the ground began to shake, and the mound of rock that Orphan had been pointing to began to shift and rise. Zalera watched as the mound rose to reveal a humanoid form. It turned around slowly and Zalera found himself staring into a glowing, mechanical face.

"Titan, I presume," Zalera yelled as the colossal Esper lumbered towards them. With a quick motion, Zalera sent the Broken back to the Ravine exit to watch their backs and turned back to Titan with a cocky smile, dipping into a bow as Titan stopped moving and lowered its head to regard them.

"Who are you pathetic creatures to enter my domain?" Titan spoke, his raspy mechanical voice echoing around the two aspects. Orphan had stopped waving about and stood stock still, giving no indication that he was at all unnerved by the massive entity before him. Zalera wasn't sure if it was backbone or pure stupidity; he hoped for the former, but was more inclined to believe the latter.

"I am Zalera, here at the behest of my lord Anima. He wishes to call the Espers to fight by his side once more, and you, the mightiest Esper remaining, have answered that call," answered Zalera in a confident tone.

"I expected Anima to come himself, not send his lackeys to do his dirty work," was Titan's response. Zalera took the insult in stride, knowing the assistance of the Espers could be invaluable to their cause.

"Anima is…indisposed at the moment, but I assure you I am no mere flunky," Zalera called up to Titan.

"You will have to prove your worth to me if you wish to speak on behalf of Anima. I will not barter with weaklings," Titan rumbled.

Zalera sighed, expecting something like this. He nodded his acquiescence to Titan's demands, and waited for the Esper to call whatever monster he would have to slaughter to gain his attention. After a moment a savage roar echoed up at him, followed by the creature who had made it sprinting up a sloped path towards him. Zalera glanced at the monster and found himself facing a behemoth, distantly recognizing it more specifically as a humbaba. The creature was already on its hind legs holding a large club-like weapon. The humbaba came level with him and swung its massive weapon down at Zalera, who rolled his eyes and held up one hand. He casually caught the club, stopping its descent and absorbing the full impact of the blow while not moving an inch himself. He almost laughed aloud at the comical expression of surprise on the behemoth's face as he wrenched the club out of its hand and spun it around to catch the grip. Before it could react, Zalera swung the club sideways into the side of the brute's head, grinning at the resounding crack that splintered the air as its neck broke. It tumbled lifelessly backwards down the slope, and Zalera tossed its club after it.

Two more humbabas, similarly wielding their clubs ran up the slope, taking no notice as their dead companion slid limply past them. One did take the time to scoop up the discarded club in its free hand though, and swung its two weapons menacingly as it made a beeline for Zalera. The aspect was surrounded in a dark aura and vanished, causing the humbaba to stumble as it lost sight of its prey. Zalera appeared behind the beast and held his palm out. A surge of dark energy erupted from the beast's chest, causing it to fall to its knees. The two clubs fell from its hands as the creature's strength left it, and it gave one last pitiful moan as it fell forward, the last dregs of life leaving it before it hit the ground.

Zalera turned to look for the third humbaba, and quickly spotted it charging for Orphan. Zalera could have easily stopped it, but hesitated, far too interested at how the aspect of death would handle the behemoth. Orphan stared at the beast, smiling stupidly up at it as it swung its club down with all of its might. The creature's bulk blocked the strike from Zalera, who shifted to see the strike, but was too late. The aftermath was obscured by the cloud of dust and debris kicked up from the impact, and Zalera waited impatiently for the smoke to clear.

As the scene came into view, Zalera's eyes widened. The humbaba was on the ground, struggling to get to its feet with one arm, the other shaking unsteadily over a deep, cruel gash across its stomach as it tried to prevent its innards from spilling out onto the ground. Orphan stood over the creature, his left arm soaked in blood up to the elbow. He gazed at the stained appendage intently until his clean right hand began to glow with power, the energy a shade darker than the crimson blood spilling from the humbaba. Orphan pressed the glowing palm to the creature's flank. The behemoth groaned as the energy engulfed its body, and Zalera watched as the beast's skin and muscle was slowly burned away, revealing a thick skeleton that also quickly succumbed to the corrosive power of the aspect of death and dissolved into dust.

Zalera overcame his surprise and walked over to Orphan, whose left arm glowed with the dark red energy, evaporating the blood coating it. Orphan turned to Zalera with a huge grin on his face and a new gleam in his eye, and the aspect of darkness chuckled at the sight. "There may be hope for you yet," he said, patting the boy on the back.

A slight tremor caught Zalera's attention, and he turned to Titan, who was shifting to get closer to them.

"Well," Titan said, clearly impressed by the display of violence, "I'm listening."

XXXXX

Hope's uncomfortably calm trip through the faultwarrens had reached its longest period of inactivity; no creature had crossed his path for over two hours. His reflexes were on the very edge when the first huge tremor rolled through the ground, causing him to shout in surprise and shatter a nearby boulder to pebbles with the thundaga spell that had been waiting eagerly at his fingertips.

After scrambling around for several minutes to find the source, he peered around a rock and found himself staring up at the back of Titan, who was walking away from him. He stared at the resident fal'Cie's back for a long moment, and when he was about to leave and continue with his search, he heard the sound of Titan's voice rolling over the faultwarrens, but was unable to decipher what he had said. His curiosity eventually overcame his desire to avoid an encounter with the fal'Cie, and he began searching for path that would take him up to a cliff with a better view.

Hope backtracked for a bit until he found such a path, and emerged on a high cliff with scattered boulders that he ducked behind to stay out of Titan's line of sight. He edged around the boulder in an attempt to see who Titan had spoken to, and he caught sight of two people standing on a stone ledge below the massive fal'Cie. Hope strained his eyes to try and make them out, and when he recognized the taller man, he felt a rush of several emotions, chief among them anger, panic, confusion and disbelief. Hope had seen this man's face in his mind's eye since Lightning had been crystallized, a focal point to direct his anger at. There was no mistaking it; Zalera was in the faultwarrens.

Hope didn't know why Zalera was here or why he was meeting with Titan, but he knew it couldn't be good. From his new vantage point, he could make out what the fal'Cie was saying, and heard "Well, I'm listening." Whatever the reasons for Zalera's visit, he was about to find out. He could only hope that the energy absorbing minerals in the rocks would keep him hidden long enough to do something about it.

XXXXX

"As I said, my lord Anima wishes to renew the alliance that once existed between himself and the Espers long ago. He is close to achieving the power he needs to break free from the prison he was contained in at the close of the war. Once we find the missing piece of the puzzle, our plan will be put into motion," Zalera said smoothly.

"And that's where I come in?" Titan asked.

"Indeed. You alone can influence the rest of the Espers, and with all of them searching across Pulse, it will not take long to find what we need. When Anima is free, you and your kin will be rewarded with power beyond your imagining."

Titan made a sharp rasping noise that Zalera took to be laughter. "Power? I have no need for power, I have enough of it."

Zalera narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?" The aspect flexed his hand. If that was how the Esper felt, he was ready to prove him wrong.

"There is something else you can give me, however," Titan continued, unknowingly avoiding the wrath of Zalera. "I know more about you and your master's plans than you think. I have felt the stirrings of a familiar power in the past months; I felt the power you used to slay the behemoths. You are aspects of Ultima."

"How…perceptive of you," Zalera said evenly, keeping the slight surprise out of his voice.

"Anima is gathering the fragments of the maker," Titan pressed on. "He will be free from Ultima's prison and will gain his power…becoming the new maker."

"That is indeed Anima's intentions," Zalera said, not knowing what the Esper was getting at.

"Since the war, I have watched this world stagnate and eventually begin to decay. With both Anima and Ultima lost, there were none strong enough to prevent this. I have done what I could to preserve the strength of Gran Pulse, but the sphere of my influence is limited; this world is dying." Titan dug a handful of rocks out of a cliff wall and let the boulders fall through his fingers to accentuate his point. "I believe that if he succeeds, Anima will be able to make Pulse strong again, perhaps stronger than it once was under the care of Ultima."

Zalera smiled triumphantly. "Your faith is well placed. Anima desires to reforge Pulse to be strong again, in a way that Ultima could not. But for that to happen, we must find the last remaining aspect of Ultima's power, which currently resides in a human host. The human is in the company of the last handful of Menhirrim tucked away in one of their hidden refuges."

"I see. I will contact the other Espers. They will scour their own domains, and we will locate your human," Titan declared.

"Excellent," Zalera said, turning on his heel. "Let us know when you find something." He waved to Orphan, who was staring up at Titan, to follow. When the aspect did not respond, Zalera snapped his fingers several times in front of the boy's face until he turned his attention away from the Esper. The two exited back to the Ravine, where Zalera motioned for the Broken still there to follow him, and the group began to make their way back to their ship while Zalera mused happily over his success. They walked through the ravine for another ten minutes until Zalera decided that he didn't want to ruin his good mood with another air ship ride.

"Take the ship back to the vestige," he said to his Broken. He turned to look for Orphan, but quickly realized that the boy was gone; he had lost track of the twitchy aspect during their short hike. He shrugged his shoulders, assuming that the boy had wandered off to find more beasts to kill. Zalera had noticed that he seemed to enjoy killing the humbaba, and the act seemed to have settled his jitteriness a bit.

"He'll find his way back to us soon enough," the aspect said to no one in particular while he focused his energy and hovered off the ground. Zalera smirked to himself and without a backward glance, rocketed off into the sky, already noting how much better the feel of wind was over the cold glass airship window.

XXXXX

Hope lay flat on his back behind the rocks, waiting for the thunderous footsteps of Titan to fade into the distance. His mind was abuzz with the weight of the conversation he had just overheard. Anima was recalling the Espers to his side, specifically to hunt him. There was something unsettling about knowing that all of the remaining Pulse fal'Cie, entities as old as the planet itself and no slouches in terms of power, would soon be scouring the world to look for him. And here he was, in the domain of the apparent leader of those fal'Cie.

With these unnerving thoughts running through his head, he remained in his hiding place for a good ten minutes after Titan's movement could no longer be heard. Hope got to his feet and surveyed the landscape below him, now determined more than ever to find this temple and get out of the faultwarrens as fast as possible.

He eventually spotted a rock formation that stood out and recognized it from the path that Raines had showed him. An hour later he came upon the cave, its inky black depths strangely comforting after what he had just happened. He stood in the mouth of the cave, when he felt a slight tingle, a warning light going off in his head. He turned quickly and saw a young blonde haired boy that looked about his age, and realized with a start that this was the boy that was with Zalera. Hope reached for his magic and felt a strange sense of urgency from the deepest part of his power center, the place where Eden's consciousness dwelled. He shook it off and readied a spell.

The boy's hands took on a dark red glow and a demented smile spread across his face. "Eden…" he hissed as he took slow, deliberate, and eager steps towards Hope.

XXXXX

**So next chapter, the aspect of life vs. the aspect of death. Should be good.**


	13. Author's Note

So I haven't been able to work on this story much, well at all really, in the past couple of months. I've had a rough semester at college among other things, but that's coming to an end in the next few days, and I really want to try and get this finished.

With that said, at this point I think I need to go back over this story and make some edits, nothing major, just some minor things to tighten up the story a bit and some technical improvements I think I can make; I've been reading a lot of books lately about the craft of writing and there are a few things I know I can improve in this story. I don't really think that will be too much of a problem though, seeing as at this point, anyone still interested in reading this story will probably want to start from the beginning anyway.

I had a rough plan when I first started writing this, but it pretty much went off on its own path the further I got into it, and since it was already up, I wasn't really able to go pack and fix a few things that I maybe would have liked to do so; posting a story chapter by chapter doesn't seem to be the best method of cranking out a good quality story; one of things I definitely learned was the value of revising a piece as a whole.

I don't know how many people still care about this story, I do realize it's been a while and I don't blame anyone for brushing this off as an abandoned piece. But from peoples' reviews, it seems at least some of you liked it and wanted to see how it ends just as much as I do. With that said, it's probably going to be another month or so before I start posting again.

Anyway, happy holidays everyone, and I hope to bring you the conclusion to this story sometime soon.


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